Past The Point Of No Return
by yumi michiyo
Summary: What started out as business as usual for the lecherous monk sparks off a dangerous sequence of events. The far-reaching consequences of his actions ensure things can never be the same again. Post-anime, Sango/Miroku, Inuyasha/Kagome
1. The Ladies' Man

**Disclaimer: **Rumiko Takahashi-_sensei_ owns the characters. I own diddly-squat but the story.

**Author's Note: **My first _Inuyasha_ fic. Set before episode 161. All mistakes, OoCs (Out-of-Characterizations) and improper language is entirely my fault.

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Miroku gave an inward sigh of relief when he spotted the plume of smoke curling lazily over the horizon.

_Praise Buddha, we can spend the night under a proper roof enjoying the hospitality of some pretty young village maidens…_

The thought made him grin.

"A village! We can spend the night here!" said Kagome happily, shifting her backpack into a more comfortable position on her shoulders.

Sango adjusted the strap of her Hiraikotsu, smiling at the younger girl's enthusiasm.

"Kagome! It's only been two weeks since you got back from taking one of your stupid tests! We still gotta lot of _Shikon_ Jewel shards to collect before Naraku gets his filthy hands on them!" growled Inuyasha. "Remember, it was you who broke the damn thing in the first place…"

Kagome stopped at the sound of her name and wheeled around to face the half-demon. "Inuyasha, sit!" she yelled, face red with anger.

The _Kotadama_ rosary around Inuyasha's neck glowed briefly and with a howl, he slammed face-first into the ground. Sango and Miroku casually side-stepped around him and continued walking as though nothing was amiss. For the group, Kagome's punishment of Inuyasha was routine as he was forever infuriating her.

Inuyasha got to his feet, grumbling all the while under his breath but wisely decided to remain silent until Kagome had cooled down. Otherwise, he might end up being rooted to the spot.

As they entered the village, a number of people glanced at them.

"Miroku-_sama_?"

Miroku turned around at the mention of his name. A pretty young woman clad in a scarlet _yukata_ was running along the road to greet him.

"Miroku-_sama_! It _is_ you!"

The monk looked blank. "I'm sorry, but I seem to have forgotten your name…which is most unforgivable of me, to forget the name of such a pretty girl like you," he added suavely, capping it off with a roguish grin.

The girl giggled, sleeve over her mouth. "I'm Riko, Miroku-_sama_. It's been a long time since we last saw each other. Have you been with so many other women that you've forgotten who I am?"

Kagome glanced fearfully at Sango, who seemed to be taking the entire situation very calmly.

He laughed. "Maybe and maybe not. What brings you to a small little village like this?"

"My family stopped through here on our way to Edo. I've never forgotten you, Miroku-_sama_, nor that special night we spent together in Shinano…"

At least Miroku had the grace to blush.

"Really, my dear, how naughty of you," he admonished. "It is indeed good to see you again."

Riko beamed. "You too, Miroku-sama," In the distance, a burly man shouted something and she turned. "Farewell, I must go now."

She darted away, as quickly as she had appeared.

Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippo all held their breath, waiting for Sango's explosion as a smiling Miroku rejoined them.

Surprisingly, nothing came. Sango spun on her heel and continued walking as though nothing was amiss.

They proceeded in tense silence until they reached the village inn.

"Welcome to my humble inn, ladies and gentlemen! I am Akira, the proprietor and this is my daughter, Chiba." The master was a jovial man who appeared to be in his forties with a round and cheerful face. In contrast, the girl was slim and pretty and looked to be no more than sixteen years of age.

"We have not much to offer but we hope you will accept our humble hospitality," added Chiba, smiling sweetly, eyes sparkling with warmth.

Miroku wasted no time, seizing her hand in his.

"You are too kind, Chiba-san, to poor travelers like us," he said, flashing her a roguish grin. "We will certainly enjoy our stay with such a pretty young woman like you."

She covered her mouth with a hand and giggled. Behind Miroku, Kagome rolled her eyes. "Here he goes again, that incorrigible flirt," she muttered under her breath, sneaking a quick glance at her other traveling companions. Inuyasha merely looked bored, as did Shippo. Sango however, remained impassive, her eyes fixed on the monk and the innkeeper's daughter. That was what really worried Kagome.

_As though Miroku isn't in enough trouble already._

When the girl turned her attention back to the scene, Chiba was already getting to her feet, assisted by Miroku.

"Come with me, I will show you to your rooms."

As the group made their way along the corridor, Kagome fell back with Sango. "Sango, are you all right? You haven't spoken a word in ages," the younger girl said worriedly.

"I'm fine, Kagome. There's really nothing to worry about." Sango's expression did not change, her eyes continuing to bore holes in Miroku's back. There was a definite edge to her voice which made Kagome take an involuntary step backwards.

_Miroku is _really_ in a whole lot of trouble._

Ahead of them, Miroku was continuing to flirt shamelessly with the innkeeper's daughter. She obviously had not been lavished with such attention before and was clearly enjoying it, giggling and blushing incessantly. The monk had yet to release her hand.

A particularly loud snatch of conversation was overheard by the women at the back of the group just as they stopped in front of the room.

"Why, _houshi-sama_, I'd be honoured to bear your children!"

At that, Shippo emitted a small groan which was not heard by the others.

Without a word, Inuyasha, Kagome and Sango stepped into the room and began unpacking their things. Miroku entered a few minutes later and sat down. Kirara, who had been curled around Sango's shoulders the whole time, leapt gracefully to the floor.

"I really need a bath now. Let's go, Sango, Shippo, you too." Kagome tugged on Sango's arm and the two women departed, Shippo being carried by Kagome. As they passed, Kagome and Shippo shot Miroku their filthiest looks.

_You idiot monk, Miroku! You've gone too far! , _thought Kagome viciously.

The door slid shut violently after them. Miroku blinked, and laid down his _shakujou_.

"Inuyasha, is it just me or did Kagome just glare at me? I swear, there was murder in her eyes."

Inuyasha snorted, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his _suikan_.

"Tuh. You know what'cha did. Don't come complaining to me."

"Why, I was just making the girl more at ease. Such a charming young creature," smiled Miroku as he leaned against the wall, pillowing his head with both his hands.

"What about the other one in the street?"

Miroku shrugged. "She's just part of my past. There's nothing between us now, of course."

"Sango's going to kill you later," commented the _hanyou_. Kirara looked up at the two and for a moment, Miroku could have sworn he saw the same sentiments echoed in the _nekomata_'s eyes.

The monk made no reply, staring into space and absently fingering the prayer beads wrapped around his _Kazaana_.

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Kagome quickly finished helping Shippo take his bath and sent him off, sensing that Sango wanted to talk with her in private. Once the little demon had vanished around the corner, Kagome tried her best to take her friend's mind off Miroku.

"Isn't the water nice, Sango? It's been such a long time since we last had a good bath, not since we slew that giant fox demon…"

Kagome's babbling trailed off as Sango merely stared vacantly beyond her.

"Tell me, Kagome," interjected Sango, "Have I been wrong?"

"In what?"

"I…I never should have trustedhim. I should have realized that he'll never change."

Kagome bit her lip. "I'm sure Miroku meant nothing by flirting with that girl."

"What about the other girl in the street? I suppose she was also nothing?"

The fury in Sango's voice was evident now and she got out of the tub, dressing rapidly.

"Sango!" Kagome was quick to follow the incensed _taiji-ya_ as she stormed off in the direction of their room.

There was much laughter, mostly feminine, coming from inside and with only the slightest hesitation, Sango threw open the sliding doors. Inuyasha was seated apart with Shippo, the pair of them scowling heavily at Miroku, who was drinking tea with Chiba. The girl was leaning on Miroku's shoulder. All four froze upon seeing Sango in the doorway

Sango's eyes traveled slowly over the entire tableau, from the guilty look on Miroku's face, to the hand Chiba had on his chest.

"Sango…" began Miroku.

It was too much for her. "Miroku, you cheat! Don't come after me!" she screamed, and she turned around and fled. Kirara sprang out the door after her.

As Kagome was running along the corridor, she was almost bowled over by Sango.

"Sango!" she called, hearing only sobbing in reply.

A now furious Kagome poked her head into the room. One glare aimed at Chiba had the young girl hastily making her excuses and departing.

"What do you think you are doing, Miroku!" yelled the enraged Kagome, hands on her hips.

"I…I…" The monk was speechless, looking everywhere except at her. "I didn't intend for things to be like this…"

"Miroku, you idiot!" added Shippo furiously.

"This is all your fault!" she seethed. "Do you have any idea how much you've hurt Sango's feelings?"

"I can explain…"

She pointed out the door. "Not to me. You'd better go out there and find Sango. Now. Go!"

Miroku scuttled out and Kagome slammed the door shut after him before turning her wrath on Inuyasha. "And you! Why didn't you stop him, you know what was going on…"

He held up both hands. "Hey, how am I s'posed to know that Sango would take it so hard? Normally, she'd just bash him on the head!"

Shippo kicked Inuyasha's leg in frustration and was rewarded with a thump on the head.

Kagome sighed angrily and flopped down. "Sometimes you can be really dense, Inuyasha. Sango was already upset because of that other girl Miroku met earlier and then when he wouldn't stop flirting with the innkeeper's daughter, well, she's got a right to be really angry with him."

"Eh? But why be mad? I mean, it's not like there's still anything between him and that other girl?"

"Women don't like to see their men's past women. It's just… painful for Sango to be reminded of Miroku's past. And he's as good as telling her that he's not going to change his ways when he flirted with that girl. "

Inuyasha scratched his right ear and yawned. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Kagome. All this stuff seems really complicated. I'm hungry, I hope that girl comes back soon with some food."

Kagome rolled her eyes, scooping up Shippo into her lap. "Never mind, Inuyasha. If you don't understand now, you'll never understand."

**Author's Note: **And that's it. Flames, criticism and corrections are always welcome (I shall take them as constructive feedback).


	2. Trouble Brewing

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, not even the plot. Why? Because there is no plot. Muahahaha.

**Author's Note: **Hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. With much love for **fireborn19**, who gave me a lovely first review.

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Miroku wandered outside into the crisp night air, still a little shell-shocked and bewildered by Kagome's fury.

_Surely Sango wouldn't be that angry over Chiba-san? She is a mere child…Sango normally doesn't get this angry when I talk with other girls. And it's obvious that Riko-san and I are long over._

The more he thought about it, the more it worked out as Sango being unreasonable. Miroku frowned. Much as it was tempting to simply dismiss it as one of those behavioural quirks of women unfathomable to men, he knew it wouldn't make sense. Not when Sango was concerned.

Sango was definitely different from any other girl he had ever met. She… Miroku struggled to come up with a way to describe her.

She didn't have the coiffed elegance of an Edo courtesan, nor the fresh beauty of a village girl but was still beautiful in her own way. She always responded to his advances with a sharp slap which only made him want to pursue her more. Furthermore, she was stubborn, determined, fierce, headstrong… all qualities not considered desirable in a young woman. Which only made him adore her all the more.

As he wandered around the grounds of the inn lost in thought, Miroku found himself in a tiny Zen garden, complete with sand raked in aesthetically pleasing patterns.

_I really should be looking for Sango, _he mused, bending down and tracing abstract lines in the sand with his fingers. _But what should I say to her?_

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Sango shivered a little. The night air was cold and biting. It was rash of her to go outside wearing just her thin _hadajuban_ but pride refused to let her go back to the room and fetch any other clothes.

_It's all his fault._

Another tear snaked down her cheek and she brushed it away furiously.

_Stupid! _Sango scolded herself. _You are an accomplished youkai-taijiya, one of the last survivors of your clan and here you are, crying over a man. A man who isn't even worth your tears._

She looked around. The surroundings were empty. "It's foolish of me to think he would ever come looking for me," she muttered. "He's probably sleeping or flirting with that girl again or going around the village looking for more girls…"

The thought hurt her.

After knowing Miroku for so long and sharing so many hardships together, Sango still didn't know what to make of him.

True, he was a pervert and lecher, never missing an opportunity to grope her or charm any girl he met. Before she and the others knew him, he had been a con-man and thief. But there was more to Miroku than that. He was unshakably loyal, brave and never hesitated to risk his life for any of them. All she could conclude was that there was much more to this monk than met the eye. But she, Sango, had penetrated through his shallow façade to uncover his true nature.

Or so she thought.

Somehow, despite losing her father, comrades and village in one day and continuing to be tormented by Naraku's manipulation of her brother Kohaku, Sango managed to fall for Miroku, allowing herself to be distracted from her mission to avenge her loved ones.

And this is how he repaid her feelings. Acting as though there was nothing special between them, going about his business of asking every single woman he met to bear his child.

Beside her, Kirara mewed. Sango's hand came down, stroking the soft fur of the _nekomata. _She knew it was foolish of her to remain out here and she ought to go back and get some sleep but Sango couldn't help but to retain some hope Miroku would come looking for her.

_Miroku, if there was ever something between us, come and find me._

Sango was so absorbed, she did not notice Kirara sniffing the air and then darting away silently over the grass.

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Miroku was having a tough time. Despite there being a full moon in the sky, he was still having difficulty moving around the garden.

There was still no sign of Sango. He knew he had to find her fast. She was not dressed for such cold and Miroku was certain pride would prevent her from returning to the room.

A mew from the vicinity of his ankles alerted him.

"Kirara," he said, squatting down. "Where's your mistress?"

She mewed again, and then walked towards the direction of the main gate, turning back to look at him.

Miroku followed closely behind all the way to a nearby stream the group had passed earlier in the day. Sango was sitting close to the bank, staring up at the sky.

"Sango?"

She spun, and their eyes met.

"_Houshi-sama_."

Sango broke contact a few seconds later, turning away from him. Her heart beat furiously in her chest as she tried to ignore the blood pounding in her ears.

Suddenly, Sango felt warmth enveloping her shoulders. He had removed his _kesa_ and draped it around her.

"You must be cold. Tonight is particularly chilly," said Miroku pleasantly, sitting down beside her.

The _kesa_ was thick and heavy and warm from his body. It smelled faintly of incense, a scent which was strangely comforting. She pulled it closer around her shoulders.

"Are you still mad at me, Sango?" asked Miroku softly.

She pursed her lips together, refusing to answer the question. Although she wasn't looking at him, she was certain he would be smiling.

When his question went unanswered, he sighed and shifted his position on the ground.

"You have every right to be angry at me. But I assure you, there is absolutely nothing between me and Chiba. It's my fault for flirting with her so outrageously. My behaviour is inexcusable."

"That's what you always say, _houshi-sama_," shot back Sango, eyes flashing with anger. "Every single time you come across any girl, you flirt with her and then ask me to forgive you."

"That's just the way I am. I know I am incorrigible – "

"So I mean nothing to you." In spite of her efforts, her voice broke on the words, bitter disappointment welling in her throat.

The smile on his face disappeared instantly. "I never said that, Sango."

Sango could contain herself no longer.

"Just what are you trying to do to me, Miroku? You promised to marry me, and then you carry on with other women as though nothing had happened! I…I _loved_ you…and I thought you even loved me…"

"Sango…" He reached for her hand but she whipped it away from him, drawing her knees to her chin.

"Before you say anything more, please listen to me," Miroku's words were soft and soothing, never changing in tone. She responded with cold silence, refusing to look at him.

"When I was a boy, I watched my father being consumed by his own Kazaana. He, like my grandfather before him, had spent fruitless years searching for Naraku and failed to find him in time to break the curse. I grew up determined not to fail and doom another generation of my family. However, the curse grows stronger with every succeeding generation and I haven't got much time left. My father's untimely death influenced me to live life to the fullest." Miroku paused to finger the prayer beads around his right hand.

"Every day, I wake up relieved to be alive and I spend the rest of the time trying to forget about my fate. Flirting helps me to forget and I also want an heir to carry on hunting for Naraku in case I fail. I worry constantly whether the Kazaana will break open and take everyone around me," he paused, and took a deep breath. "Especially you, Sango."

She gazed at him, the anger and hurt vanishing from her brown eyes. He was still looking at her, his violet eyes filled with a deep sadness.

"The last thing I ever want to do is to take you with me. All I want is your happiness. I'd much rather you choose someone who can give you the happiness you deserve, like Kuranosuke, not some penniless monk with a few more years of life left – "

Without warning, she whirled on him, cutting him off mid sentence.

"Have you even considered what _I_ want instead of what you think I want? I don't want you to be noble – "

"Have you been talking to Kagome about this?" he interjected weakly.

" – or self-sacrificing. I certainly don't want you to decide my happiness for me. I just want… _you_." Surprising even herself, Sango leaned forward and placed her hand on his where it rested in the grass. The look on Miroku's face was one she'd never seen before: he was absolutely stunned, mouth hanging half-open. Sango would have giggled in normal circumstances.

"Miroku," she began quietly, "I am a _youkai-taijiya_. Do you think I would be happy, sitting in a castle all day, raising children? If you think you can try and push me away – "

"I can't do this to you!" he cried abruptly, snatching his hand away from her. "I didn't want to fall in love with you, Sango, because of this curse!" He gripped the glove around his right wrist so hard, the knuckles of his left hand turned white. "I… tried so hard not to… I don't want to break your heart when this Kazaana consumes me at last…"

"Do you think it would have made any difference?" she shouted back. "I love you, Miroku, curse or not! You're all I have left besides Kohaku – "

The words caught in her throat and tears blurred her vision as memories of that horrific day came back vividly. She was there again, watching as her father and comrades were cut down with butcher-like efficiency, feeling Kohaku's blade cut into her back even as arrows were shot into them both. Sango felt arms encircle her, drawing her into comforting warmth. She cried freely then, tears for the ghosts of her past which she had been unable to shed for so long.

Miroku just held her while she cried, his hand stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you," he murmured into her ear when her sobs had dissipated somewhat, "I'm sorry for everything that I've done, Sango."

"You don't have to apologise," Sango answered, lifting her head from where she had buried it in his chest. The moonlight caught her tear-streaked face, causing it to sparkle.

Miroku gently brushed her face dry with the edge of his callused thumbs and cupped her face in one smooth movement.

"My beautiful Sango."

"Miroku…"

He leaned in to kiss her, just as she tilted her face upward to meet his. The kiss was tender and neither of them wanted it to end.

Miroku pulled away first. "We should be getting back, the others will be worried about us." His fingers traced a line from Sango's forehead down her neck, betraying his words. Apparently he was as reluctant to go as she was.

Sango blushed and he grinned, sweeping her up in his arms.

"_Houshi-sama_…! What are you doing, put me… mmph!" He silenced her protests by covering her mouth with his.

"We _really_ should be getting back or Kagome and Inuyasha will start talking. But since they're not spying on us as usual, that doesn't mean I can't kiss you," he whispered seductively, sending delightful shivers up Sango's spine.

Her arms were draped around Miroku's neck as they headed back towards the inn, Sango fingering the gold hoops he wore in his ears. Kirara bounded alongside, her inquisitive red eyes following her mistress' every move.

Outside the room, Miroku put Sango down.

"Oh!" Before he could slide the door open, she quickly took off the _kesa_ and handed it back to him. Miroku accepted it gratefully, wrapping it around his body.

"Good night, Sango." He kissed her forehead.

"Good night, _houshi-sama_."

Inside the room, Kagome, Inuyasha and Shippo were already asleep. The pair quietly snuck in and lay down.

Sango's last thought before falling asleep was of Miroku's smile.

**Author's Note: **The story isn't over yet, of course. Will update soon.


	3. A Complication

**Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to Rumiko Takahashi-_sensei_. I own nada.

**Author's Note: **To all those who have been following this story and letting their opinions be heard, my limitless gratitude. This would not have been possible without you.

Some lemony content here, nothing too racy.

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Kagome woke early the next morning. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes blearily, she was a little surprised to find Sango and Miroku in the corner of the room, sound asleep.

_Funny, I didn't hear them come in last night… _

"They came in quite late last night, when we were already asleep."

Unnoticed, Inuyasha had woken up as well and anticipated her thoughts. Kagome smiled, used to the _hanyou_'s keen senses.

"I bet they've resolved the issue already," said Kagome happily, clapping her hands. Inuyasha merely snorted, getting to his feet.

_Now, how is it possible that a half-demon can sniff out Naraku's scent from 200 miles away and yet be so dense when it comes to the feelings between Sango and Miroku?, _mused Kagome.

Inuyasha padded over to the sliding door and opened it, peering outside. "The sun's rising pretty fast. We should be going."

"Hey, let them sleep a bit more." Kagome jerked her head over at their sleeping companions. "They probably had a tiring night." She couldn't help herself, grinning mischievously at Inuyasha.

"Feh. We're wasting time." He walked out, Tetsusaiga in hand, presumably to train with it.

Smiling slightly, Kagome changed into her usual school uniform, tying the scarf into a neat knot around her neck with a flourish. Once she was done, she bustled about, tidying the room up.

Sango opened her eyes, roused by the sound.

"Good morning, Sango!" chirped Kagome, grinning from ear to ear. "So things between you and Miroku are okay?"

Sango blushed, remembering the events of last night.

_He kissed me… Buddha, it felt so good…_

With a jolt, she came back to the real world and Kagome's smiling face, looking at her expectantly. An involuntary blush spread over her face.

"We… I… Yes."

"That's great!" squealed Kagome, hugging her best friend. Sango smiled, cheered by her enthusiasm.

"What's all the noise about?" interrupted a voice, dulled by sleep. Miroku was awake too, rubbing his face with a hand. "Are we being attacked?"

Blinking, he gazed at Kagome, and then Sango. A smile lit up his face as he looked at her. "Sleep well?" he asked, placing a hand on hers.

Sango blushed deeply but made no attempt to remove her hand. "Very well, _houshi-sama_. And you?"

"I had an excellent night's rest," he answered, looking deep into her eyes. "Especially when you were at my side."

Kagome looked at both of them in turn. "I…think I'll go outside and find Inuyasha," she mumbled, scooping up a groggy Shippo and dashing out the door.

Miroku chuckled as the sliding door slammed shut violently.

"Poor Kagome." His hand slid up Sango's arm and went to her waist, pulling her closer to his body.

"_Houshi-sama_… now is hardly the time for this." She had difficulty saying the words owing to the fact that the touch of his hand and the feeling of his arm around her waist was leaving her giddy and light-headed.

"Then when, my lovely Sango?" With his free hand, Miroku idly played with her hair, letting the silky strands fall through his fingers. Resting his face against her hair, he inhaled her scent.

Sango gave up. Leaning back against his chest, she raised her hand to caress his cheek.

"I suppose…we do have a little time now."

"I'm glad."

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"Haah!"

With a grunt, Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga around. The giant blade shone, catching the rays of the morning sun.

"Inuyasha!"

He glanced over his shoulder, before resuming his exercise. Thanks to his keen senses, he had already detected Kagome coming to find him from the instant she left the courtyard of the inn.

"Kagome."

She stepped lightly, Shippo held tightly in her arms. Finding a convenient tree stump nearby, Kagome sat on it.

"Aren't Miroku and Sango awake yet?" grumbled Inuyasha, swinging the sword around his head in a wide arc. "We really ought to get moving."

Kagome flushed a little, remembering the events that had just transpired.

"I think… we should give them a while to get ready."

"What? What for?" He scowled, leaping forward and executing a cut. "They don't usually need so much time just to get moving."

"They need some time today, okay. And don't you dare go back to the room to disturb them!" Kagome was blushing furiously now, dreading to think what she might see if she or Inuyasha were to barge in unannounced.

_Damn these schoolgirl hormones and this overactive imagination!_

"Well, we can't spend the whole bloody day here!" Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga and sat cross-legged beside Kagome, hiding his hands in his sleeves.

"I'm pretty sure they'll be out in a while…"

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Elsewhere, from a rocky mountain outcrop, Naraku peered intently into Kanna's mirror.

"Hmm… very interesting," he mused. "This is a fine opportunity for me." His brain was already whirling, the pieces of yet another devious and twisted plan clicking into place.

"Kohaku, Kagura." called Naraku. The young boy and the wind sorceress emerged and knelt before him.

"Here is what I want you to do…" Leaning in, he whispered his orders to them. Kagura's eyes widened, taking in the information. Kohaku's face remained emotionless.

"Go now." With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them, returning to his perusal of the mirror.

This was going to be most entertaining, even if it were to fail. In fact, he fully expected his plan to fail.

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"I suppose…we do have a little time now."

"I'm glad."

Miroku leaned in, kissing her cheek. Turning her head, Sango's lips met his, stopping him from traveling around her face. His tongue came out, licking her mouth, willing it to open for him. She hesitated for only an instant before she responded, letting him into her mouth.

Miroku's pulse quickened, his hand around her waist moving down to Sango's behind as the other changed position to cup her face. Growing more daring, he began nibbling on her ear. Sango closed her eyes, letting the glorious sensation wash over her.

"_Houshi-sama_…" Her grip on his neck tightened.

They were rudely interrupted by the sound of screams from outside. Miroku and Sango broke apart, rushing to tidy their clothes. Somehow, the collar of Sango's _yukata_ had been pulled down to her elbow and Miroku's _kesa_ had come undone.

Rushing outside, armed and ready, they were greeted with a gory sight. The remains of a cart, heavily loaded with goods, stood on the edge of the forest. The horses had been slaughtered, spattering the surroundings with blood. Worse yet, bodies were strewn around the area, like dolls that had been tossed aside. Inuyasha and Kagome were already at the scene, horror on their faces.

"What happened?" asked Miroku roughly.

"They were attacked as they were leaving the village," answered a nearby villager. "A young woman waved her fan and blades came out, slicing them to pieces."

"Kagura," spat Inuyasha contemptuously. "I can smell her."

"But why would she want to attack a harmless group of travelers?"

Miroku moved around, examining the bodies. "We have to give them a proper burial." A trail of blood leading into the forest caught his attention and he walked over to investigate when a faint voice arrested his attention.

"Miroku-_sama_…"

"There's a survivor!" Looking around, he shifted the body of a large man aside.

"Riko?!"

Barely alive, her right arm was badly gashed and she had minor cuts to her chest. Miroku gently picked her up and rushed into the village. "She needs urgent help!"

A nearby house let them in and the village healer entered the hut. After a quick examination, the healer emerged.

"The wounds are quite deep, but not life-threatening. She should be fit in about a month's time."

Miroku nodded, his brow furrowed in worry. "I don't understand. I thought she left with her family yesterday afternoon."

"What puzzles me more is why Kagura would attack them," said Kagome thoughtfully. "They're not _youkai _and I couldn't detect the presence of any Shikon shards…"

Miroku was about to say something when he was interrupted by a commotion from inside the house.

"Miroku-_sama_!" Riko emerged, her eyes filled with fear. She staggered and fell into his arms, clutching the front of his robes. Sobbing, she buried her face in his chest.

"Riko, you should be resting. You're badly injured." Miroku gently tried to dislodge the white-knuckled grip she had on him but to no avail. Sango looked elsewhere.

_I shouldn't be jealous or anything…she just watched her whole family being slaughtered before her eyes._

"Miroku-_sama_…it was horrible…they were all dead…Father, Mother and the others…" The words came out between anguished wails.

He patted her back reassuringly. "Calm down. It's alright. You're safe now."

Once Riko had calmed down and Miroku had carried her back into the house, the monk wasted no time in getting down to business.

"Riko? Do you have any other relatives?"

She sniffed. "I have an uncle in Edo. We were fleeing Shinano to stay with him because of the wars there between Lords Uesugi and Takeda and the city was mostly destroyed."

"No others?"

"None. They were all killed."

Miroku turned to Sango, Kagome and Inuyasha. "We can't possibly leave her alone here. Why don't we escort her to her uncle's house?"

AS always, Inuyasha was the first to respond. "Great. Another diversion."

"Inuyasha! Like Miroku said, we can't just leave her here," snapped Kagome.

"Feh, let her find her own way – "

"Inuyasha, sit boy!"

The rosary glowed and the _hanyou_ slammed face forward into the ground.

"We'll take her to Edo," said Miroku decisively, ignoring Inuyasha's mumbled protests. "Is that fine with you, Sango?"

Sango glanced at the bandaged girl and nodded. "It's the best solution."

**Author's Note: **Whooh. Always satisfying to churn out another chapter. Hope you guys like it.


	4. Betrayal And Revelation

**Disclaimer: **… Do we need to do this each time? We all know the rap.

**Author's Note: **And the plot gets nastier. Just what is Naraku up to?

************************************************************************

Instead of wasting time waiting for Riko's injuries to heal, Inuyasha grudgingly agreed to carry her on his back. They set off that afternoon after packing the necessary herbs for dressing her wounds.

"Follow the road and travel north-east once it ends," advised the village headman, giving them directions to the city. "You should reach Edo in a week."

"A week," muttered Inuyasha. "We could spend the time tracking Naraku down in his lair."

"Inuyasha!" admonished Kagome, shooting him a death glare.

"Sango, can't you ask Kirara to fly there and deliver the girl to her uncle's house?" called the _hanyou_ irritably.

Sango shook her head. "It's too far from here."

"This bites," he moaned, shifting the unconscious girl.

"Inuyasha, stop complaining!" shouted Kagome. "You are so lucky I can't 'sit' you…"

His ears perked up at that. "Oh yeah, now that you mention it…" he said happily.

"Great," complained Shippo. "Now he's going to be unbearable for a whole week."

Miroku smiled, rubbing the little _kitsune_'s head. "Try not to take advantage of the situation, Shippo."

"What makes you think I would?"

Inuyasha snorted.

************************************************************************

That night, they took shelter in an abandoned temple. While Kagome set about changing Riko's dressings, Sango stepped outside for some fresh air to clear her thoughts.

"Sango." The familiar voice interrupted the silence.

"_Houshi-sama_."

Miroku sat beside her and laid his _shakujou_ down in the grass. "You should get some sleep, Sango. We still have a long walk ahead of us."

"I'm fine. I should take the first watch tonight anyway. Inuyasha's exhausted from carrying the girl the whole day."

A pause, then Miroku glanced sideways at her.

"You're not… _uncomfortable_ that Riko's traveling with us?"

Sango looked at him, eyes widening. "N – No, _houshi-sama_. Why would you think that?"

"You've been unusually quiet today, especially towards me."

She blinked. _Damn, he noticed._

He smiled, the crooked smile which she loved. "I quite understand that you're not comfortable about the history between me and her. We met a few years ago, when I had just left the monastery."

_A young Miroku walked in the streets of Shinano. Times were bad because of the imminent war between the lords and people had nothing to spare for the itinerant monk._

"_Damn. I have no more money," he grumbled, shaking out his empty money pouch._

_Miroku ignored the growling of his protesting stomach and walked on, rings of his _shakujou_ jangling as he went. _

"_Looks like I will have to perform an 'exorcism' again."_

_He stopped outside a large manor and knocked on the gate._

_It creaked open and a pair of wary eyes peered out at him. _

"_Go away, houshi, the master has nothing for you," growled the sentry._

"_I need to speak with your master," said Miroku confidently, trying to look older than he was. "I sensed a demonic aura emanating from inside the house. I can exorcise it."_

_The sentry paused, surveying him for a while. "Wait here," he said presently, "I will inform my master."_

_After a short while, the gate swung open. A servant bowed and ushered him in. "Follow me, _houshi-sama_."_

_Miroku was showed to a hall, where the master of the house sat. A pretty girl sat beside him._

"_You look a little too young to be exorcising evil spirits," said the man critically, looking Miroku up and down, taking in the boyish face. The girl was similarly captivated by Miroku's appearance, although for different reasons from her father. _

"_I have had experience, lord."_

_He grunted._

"_Very well, then. You may begin."_

_Miroku bowed, and looked around the room. "The spirit is not here, lord. May I have your permission to search the house for it?"_

"_Granted. You shall have full access to all parts of my house." _

_The girl suddenly bowed to her father. "With your permission, _chichi-ue, _I may escort _houshi-sama_?"_

_He smiled. "Certainly. Be careful though, Ri-chan. Don't get in _houshi-sama_'s way."_

_Miroku left the room and went to the courtyard, accompanied by the girl._

"_What's your name?" she asked._

_He smiled. "Miroku,"_

"_I'm Riko."_

"_That's a lovely name."_

Miroku snapped back to the present with a jolt. "Anyway, after I 'exorcised' the _youkai_ from her father's house, he invited me to stay the night. Riko came into my room to bring me some food and she sneaked some _sake_ with it as well."

Sango narrowed her eyes. "And then?"

"I…don't remember much. The next thing I knew, I was waking up the next morning and there was a note left on the floor thanking me for a wonderful night."

Sango folded her arms across her chest huffily, looking away from him.

Miroku laughed and put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, Sango, you are my special woman. You are different from all the rest to me."

She frowned, not knowing whether to be pleased or offended by Miroku's words. "I know that. There's just something strange about this."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know… I just have a bad feeling because Kagura's involved. That means Naraku's planning something."

"Kagura? Possibly. But then again we saw no sign of Kohaku and Naraku usually sends them together."

A shadow passed over Sango's face. "Kohaku."

The _houshi_ and the _taiji-ya_ suddenly became aware of Kagome standing behind them, nervously waiting for an opportunity to speak. "Miroku, Sango, I hope… I'm not interrupting anything, but Riko's awake and she wants to see Miroku."

He shot an apologetic glance at Sango just as she deliberately looked away and got to his feet.

"Sango, I – " Miroku bit his lip and thought the better of saying anything, walking away towards the temple with long strides.

Kagome sat herself down on the other side of the older girl and patted her hand sympathetically. Sango sighed and drew her knees up to her chin.

"I really don't know how I should feel about Riko, Kagome. I know I shouldn't be jealous of her but I am."

"Well… it's not the first time Miroku's been…_roving_, and it's certainly not the first time you've been angry with him," shrugged Kagome. "Personally, Sango, I think you should have nothing to fear from Riko, not when she's in this condition."

"I think… you may be right."

************************************************************************

Miroku entered the room. "Riko?"

The girl opened her eyes and turned her head towards him, face lighting up. "Miroku-_sama_!"

"Are you feeling better?" asked the young _houshi_ solicitously, kneeling down beside her. "I trust Kagome did an excellent job with your wounds?"

"Oh, of course," Riko replied shyly, reaching out for his hand. Miroku stiffened for an instant before taking her hand in his, covering it with his other free hand.

"Well, it is good to know you are well. Now, if there is nothing else, I had better leave you to get some rest…Riko!" The girl hauled herself into a partially sitting position, using his hand as a support and leaned against his chest. Miroku's pulse quickened at the proximity of their bodies, despite his efforts at maintaining his detachment.

"Don't go yet, Miroku-_sama_," she breathed, pressing her cheek to his _kesa_, sending his mind racing. "Keep me company."

"Riko – ! Your wounds – ! " Gently, he attempted to pry her off him but she clung on doggedly. Blood pounding in his ears, trying his best to regain his composure, Miroku exhaled.

"Riko, lie down! You are not fully recovered yet, if you sit up like this, you will reopen your wounds!"

Up until then, Riko had been passively leaning on Miroku. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as though struck by a realization and she tilted her face up to his.

"Miroku-_sama_…" Without warning, she seized his neck and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him passionately.

"Mmph!" Eyes wide with shock, Miroku fought to release himself from her iron grip although his efforts were somewhat hampered by the awareness that he could not be too rough with her. Much to his credit, the _houshi _managed to keep a firm control on his own growing excitement.

A sound, then a gasp from the door brought his world crashing down.

He didn't need to look in that direction to know who it was.

"Sango!" Rage and shame burning a hole in his heart, he pushed Riko roughly away even as the sound of running feet echoed down the corridor. "Sango!" Staggering to his feet, Miroku stumbled outside, arriving just in time to see her hair disappearing around the corner.

The _houshi_ cursed, falling to his knees. How could he have been so thoughtless? She would never forgive him now, taking away the only remaining bright spark in his dark and hopeless life. Tears coursed down his cheeks and Miroku slammed his fist on the floor.

Laughter, low and feminine, shook him out of his misery. Riko lay where she had fallen, laughing at his suffering.

Miroku slowly rose to his feet and approached her, his eyes dangerous. "Why are you laughing?" he asked, his tone low and menacing.

She turned her eyes on Miroku and he gave a start. Instead of Riko's soft brown eyes, an unrelentingly red demonic pair gazed at him.

"What in Buddha's name – !"

"Haven't you figured it out already, _houshi_? I thought you were intelligent," hissed the _youkai_, hatred contorting Riko's pretty features.

"Riko! What have you done with her, foul creature?! Tell me the truth!" While he babbled, Miroku's hand was in his robes, surreptitiously searching for his stack of _ofuda. _The movement of his hand did not go unnoticed and the _youkai_ smirked.

"Don't waste your time, _houshi_. I took the liberty of getting Riko to steal them from you much earlier on. Oh, and to answer your question, the girl no longer exists."

Horror suffused Miroku's face. "You killed her!"

"Once she had fulfilled her purpose, yes," said the _youkai_ in a bored voice. "Now we are alone, I can send you to join her in hell!"

With an unearthly shriek, claws sprouted from the ends of its fingers and it pounced on Miroku. He recovered in time to leap to one side, and the _youkai_ embedded its claws in the wooden floor. Snarling, she wheeled around and aimed a sideways slash at his leg.

"Don't bother waiting for your friends to come and save you," screamed the _youkai_ joyfully, exultant with the thrill of the chase as Miroku sprang out of reach of its talons. "I've put up a barrier around this place which can only be broken from the inside!"

Miroku struggled to keep his breathing even, focusing his energy on avoiding the deadly claws. "Who sent you? Naraku?" he shouted, even as the floor beneath his feet was swiftly reduced to splinters.

_Why couldn't any of us sense she was a youkai? _thought Miroku. 

"Naraku promised me half of the Shikon jewel if I killed you and your pathetic companions! So I'll start with you!"

Miroku dodged and ran out into the corridor, sprinting for the courtyard. A crackle of energy over the gateway signaled the start of the barrier. Concentrating hard, Miroku aimed a bolt of spiritual energy at it. There was a loud sizzling and with a flash, a force hurled him backward into a wooden pillar.

"Damn!"

The _youkai _stood behind him, cackling at his feeble attempt to escape. "Can't break out? I'll lure each of you in, one by one, and finish you all off."

She advanced, talons held at the ready. Miroku frowned. Throughout, he realized that he had not felt any demonic aura emanating from the _youkai._ It meant he was not able to throw up a barrier to protect himself.

"Wait!"

It paused. "What is it, _houshi_?

"How is it we could not sense your true demonic nature?" he asked, getting up as he spoke.

The _youkai_ grinned, exposing a row of pointed fangs. "My true self is a 1000-year-old _kitsune_. I have learned the art of concealing my aura sufficiently, well enough to deceive a novice _houshi_, a mere _miko_ and a half-grown _inu-youkai_ to detect."

Miroku's heart sank at that. They had all been outsmarted.

"What is a powerful ancient _youkai_ like yourself, then, working for a lowly _hanyou_ like Naraku?" The words were stinging, Miroku's last hope at saving himself.

"If you are trying to goad me, _houshi_, I am beyond that. The reason I have survived this long is because I judge others by power, not by blood." The _youkai_ had reached him as it spoke the words. "But of course, once I have the Shikon jewel, it will be a different story."

Miroku closed his eyes. _Sango, forgive me… I love you._

It raised one hand to dismember him and then paused.

A _kusari-gama_ flew out of the darkness, severing the hand and returning to its owner.

The _youkai_'s shriek of pain alerted Miroku, and he rolled to the side as the deadly hand crashed down, claws first where he had previously been.

Kohaku stepped out of the shadows. From Miroku's angle, he could see that the young _taiji-ya_'s eyes were vacant and he felt worried.

_Kohaku is following Naraku's orders…this could all be part of Naraku's plan._

The _youkai _leapt forward, bringing down her remaining talons on his weapon. The sound of metal upon metal rang out, and Kohaku rolled to the side, swiping at its leg as he went. A gout of dark blood spattered to the floor.

"Curse you, _taiji-ya_!" spat the _youkai_. "I'll finish you, then the _houshi_!"

The young boy moved fluidly, darting backward and hurling his weapon at the barrier. With a crackle of energy, the barrier flashed and then disappeared.

************************************************************************

A sobbing Sango dashed out the gateway of the old temple. She was so absorbed, she did not notice the faint sound of a barrier forming behind her.

Her world had just crashed down around her. She hated Miroku for playing with her feelings and herself for falling in love with him.

The image of Miroku kissing Riko was forever seared into her mind. It was foolish of her to go and check on him. Not when he obviously wanted to be undisturbed.

She was such an idiot for trusting him. She had let him seduce her with his words and actions, oblivious to his ulterior motive.

Kagome noticed her crying friend and ran to meet her. "Sango – "

Inuyasha and Shippo had heard her sobs and came as well. "Where is that _baka_? I'll pound him – !" growled Inuyasha, cracking his knuckles.

"Inuyasha!" chided Kagome, her arms around her heartbroken friend, stroking her hair gently. "What happened, Sango?" she asked softly.

"Two nights in a row!" snarled Inuyasha. "I swear, that lecherous _houshi_'s gone too far this time! I ain't going to let this go so easily!"

'INUYASHA!"

The _hanyou _scowled, but made no other move. Frowning, Kagome turned her efforts to comforting the upset _taiji-ya_ in her arms.

"It's alright, Sango," she said soothingly. "Take your time."

Sango furiously wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her _kosode_. "That _houshi_ had his arms around the girl. They were…kissing."

A sharp intake of breath from Kagome, Inuyasha and Shippo.

"_Baka_'s really done it this time," said Shippo disbelievingly, shaking his head. "I'll kill him!" roared Inuyasha, drawing his sword. Kagome, her expression unreadable, made no attempt to stop him.

Just as he advanced on the temple, Tetsusaiga drawn, there was an eruption of power which threw all of them back. It was followed by such a strong wave of demonic energy that Kagome and Inuyasha began coughing.

In the ruins of the temple stood Riko, one arm ending in a bloody stump, over a sprawled Kohaku. Miroku was standing off to one side, breathing hard, his robes torn.

Riko lifted her head, her red eyes regarding the others calmly. Inuyasha tensed, sensing the evil radiating from her person.

"Looks like I've got no choice now," she sighed.

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the late update. I injured my leg and went overseas so couldn't update on time. Hope this makes up for it.


	5. Redemption

**Disclaimer: ** I own nothing. Enough said.

**Author's Note: **Another update. Dedicated to all those who have been following this story through its irregular updates.

For my sister, PaintedScarlet, who is just starting out in the wonderful world of fanfiction. Although it is Avatar: The Last Airbender and not Inuyasha.

************************************************************************

The _youkai_ that they had known as Riko surveyed her surroundings carefully as Kohaku took advantage of its distraction to get out of its range. Its eyes traveled in a casual-seeming arc, resting in turn on the angry _hanyou_, the stunned young _miko_ in strange clothing, the young _kitsune_, the red-eyed _taijiya_. Slowly, a smirk appeared on her face.

"This is going to be more fun than I anticipated," it said eagerly, the tip of a pink tongue emerging delicately from between its lips and moistening them. "Remind me to thank your master later, Kohaku dear," it called over to where the young _taijiya_ stood, half-hidden in the shadows. "This is all going according to how we planned it, is it not?" It added, motioning with the stump of its hand.

"Kohaku?" Sango took a step forward, straining to catch a glimpse. Kagome caught her elbow and held her back.

Ignoring her, it turned to Miroku. "Why don't you join your friends? Since we're doing this the hard way, I do think it's no fun to slaughter a defenceless man." Miroku got to his feet, jogging to the place he had left his _shakujou _and snatching it up. Guilt welled up when he got close enough to see Sango's eyes, swollen from weeping.

"Sango…"

She either did not hear him or pretended not to, eyes averted. His other companions could not meet his gaze either. They had evidently heard about what had happened. Miroku said nothing. What could he?

The _bake-kitsune_ calmly picked up its severed hand and reattached it with what seemed like hardly any exertion. "I guess there's no need for me to maintain this form, neh?" Riko's form shifted, the face lengthening, ears and a bushy tail sprouting until the form of a young woman in battle armour stood before them. The only indications of her true demonic nature were a pair of ears standing erect from her hair, much like Inuyasha's own, and the bushy tail at the other end. The hairpin from her hair had been transformed into a long _naginata_. Kagome sensed the same demonic aura she had earlier when the temple had been destroyed, and then much to her bewilderment, it vanished utterly.

Inuyasha also seemed to be experiencing the same thing, his nose sniffing the air vigorously.

"I…I can't sense her aura!" said Kagome, astonished.

"I can't smell her either!" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed.

"Certainly not," remarked the _bake-kitsune_. "As I was explaining to the _houshi_ earlier, one of the perks of being a thousand years old is the ability to conceal one's demonic aura. How else do you think I was able to deceive all of you into thinking I was the girl?"

"Naraku sent her!" shouted Miroku. "It's some kind of trap!" The others visibly bristled.

"Naraku, huh? Then prepare to die!" snarled Inuyasha, swinging Tetsusaiga upwards.

The _bake-kitsune_ shrugged.

"Namaru of Omi does not die so easily, _hanyou_!"

Wielding her _naginata_ effortlessly, she deflected the blow downwards and leapt to the side as the weapon split the ground beneath her feet

Kagome quickly notched an arrow. Taking aim briefly, she fired. The arrow struck the _bake-kitsune_'s shoulder and threw her off balance. With a snarl, she wrenched it out of her arm.

"So you want to play, girl?"

She flew at Kagome, _naginata_ raised.

"Kagome!"

Inuyasha darted forward, seizing her waist and pulling her out of harm's way as the deadly blade sliced through the air.

"Hiraikotsu!"

The giant boomerang narrowly missed Namaru's head, taking off a few hairs as it passed. She bounded backward, weapon raised at this new adversary. Sango was now dressed in her _taijiya_ uniform, mounted on Kirara and hovering some distance off the ground. As the youkai watched, she caught Hiraikotsu and prepared to throw it again. Before she could, the _bake-kitsune_ emitted a guttural growl and attacked.

While the battle was raging, Kohaku stood to one side, watching. Naraku's instructions rang in his mind.

"_Kohaku, Kagura, seek out the ancient bake-kitsune of Omi, Namaru, and ask her to kill Inuyasha and his companions in return for half of the Shikon Jewel. Then the two of you are to assist her."_

"_Master? Do you not want to send a golem?" Kohaku looked momentarily confused._

"_I would prefer you deal with her, Kohaku." He looked at Kagura. "Leave us."_

_Annoyance passed over the wind sorceress' face. When Kagura had left the room, Naraku leaned in closer._

"_Do not tell Kagura what I am about to tell you."_

_He bowed his head in assent._

"_I do not want you to reveal your involvement in this until Namaru has defeated them, lest Sango distract you. Then when Namaru is least expecting it, kill her and bring me the Shikon shards from Kagome and Tetsusaiga."_

_Kohaku bowed lower. Naraku leaned back with a triumphant smile._

"_You may go."_

_As Kohaku left, a barely perceptible smile, shadow of Naraku's, touched his face._

_Naraku had yet to realize he had regained his memories and his free will._

_His evil plan would never come to fruition._

_Kagura was lounging outside, playing idly with her fan. She snapped upwards once the young taijiya emerged._

"_So, what did Naraku say?"_

_Kohaku kept his face deliberately blank. "We are to help Namaru kill Inuyasha and his friends."_

"_I know that already," she snapped. "You're not telling me everything. Naraku still doesn't trust me, huh?"_

_No reply. The boy merely stared straight ahead._

"_Feh. You're nothing but Naraku's obedient puppet." Kagura turned away in disgust._

Kohaku smiled to himself. It had all been Namaru's idea. The _bake-kitsune_ was greedy but cunning, taking advantage of its lack of a demonic aura to impersonate a human and infiltrate the group. Luckily for them, the woman had been an acquaintance of the _houshi_, making things easier.

Just now, Kohaku had taken a great risk by saving Miroku. It was fortunate for him that Namaru thought it part of his deception, to trick them into letting their guard down.

Now, it was time for him to join the fray. He had to be careful, in his role as a double-agent.

His _kusari-gama_ flew out at Sango, in an intentional wide arc. Nevertheless, the sight was enough to break her concentration.

"Kohaku!" She hurled Hiraikotsu at Namaru, but her aim was off. The _bake-kitsune_ dodged it easily and slashed at her. Although Kirara's quick movement saved Sango from serious injury, the naginata cut her arm below the shoulder. She let out a cry of pain.

"Sango!" Below the aerial fighters, Miroku appeared out of nowhere. Namaru changed targets, driving the _naginata_ blade downwards at him. He blocked it with his _shakujou_. The clang of metal resounded and the combatants began dueling fiercely.

Miroku grunted as he sent the head of the shakujou whistling at Namaru. She swept her head to one side and countered with a stab.

"You are no match for me, _houshi_," she hissed, unleashing a volley of blows which he was only barely able to parry.

He gasped as one of the wild strikes hit home, gashing his left arm badly.

"Miroku!"

Inuyasha stepped into the battle again, leaping forward and taking the impact of the finishing strike on Tetsusaiga.

"You don't scare me, Inuyasha," she scoffed, moving fluidly into a battle stance. "I know you can't use your _Kaze no Kizu_ on me."

Inuyasha snarled, aiming a cut at her.

_Damn…she's right. Without a demonic aura, I can't use it against her!_

"Maybe so, but I don't intend to give up!" He lunged forward, only to be knocked down by a heavy swing of the polearm.

"Hiraikotsu!"

The Hiraikotsu whirled past, striking the ground where the _bake-kitsune_ had been. While it missed, it had given Inuyasha the opportunity he needed. He sheathed Tetsusaiga.

"_Sankon Tesso_!"

The _hanyou_'s claws penetrated Namaru's defences, cutting across her chest and splitting open her breastplate. Her eyes widened.

"What..!"

With a feral roar of anger, she slashed upward and Inuyasha fell back, a bloody gash appearing on his side.

"Inuyasha!"

Miroku quickly stepped in to fight off the _bake-kitsune_. While they fought, Kagome rushed to Inuyasha, face filled with worry. A trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth.

"Kagome, get off me! I'm fine!" grumbled Inuyasha, making a half-hearted attempt to swat her aside.

"How is he?" called Sango, swinging Hiraikotsu at the _bake-kitsune_.

"The wound looks quite deep," she said anxiously. "But I think he should be fine, since he's got _youkai_ blood."

Sango nodded and concentrated on attacking Namaru, Miroku at her side. They attacked in sync, each one anticipating the other's next move without needing to exchange words. Under the concerted onslaught, Namaru began to visibly tire. Slowly, her stance changed from offensive to defensive.

Kohaku leapt forward, _kusari-gama_ in hand, ready to finish her. Namaru staved off Sango and Miroku with one powerful sweep from her naginata and glanced at him.

"Your faces…" She glanced between Sango and Kohaku and smiled. "Of course… I understand now." Lifting her weapon, she charged at Kohaku. "No hard feelings, dear. I was going to betray your master anyway."

"Kohaku!" Sango dashed forward desperately.

"Sango, no! That's what she wants!" shouted Miroku, running after her.

Sango, oblivious to anything but her brother, continued on, dropping Hiraikotsu as she ran.

Namaru abruptly changed direction mid-run, a look of triumph on her face. The naginata flashed out, aimed at Sango's stomach.

The sound of metal cutting through flesh and bone rent the air and Inuyasha sat up, shock on his face.

"I smell human blood…lots of it." He pulled himself to his feet despite Kagome's protests and ran towards them, Tetsusaiga in hand.

Kohaku slashed at Namaru, opening up a deep cut in the centre of her back and she staggered away, falling to her knees. Although he struggled to keep a blank countenance, emotion showed through, his mind racing.

_Ane-ue, are you all right? Forgive me!_

"Wh – What? I thought we were allies, Kohaku! It was a trap for the girl!" coughed the _bake-kitsune_ through a mouthful of blood.

Sango fell heavily to the ground, wincing. Surprisingly, there wasn't much pain.

She cursed her own stupidity. _How could I have been stupid enough to fall into the trap? _Sango tried to get up, but her body wouldn't respond. 

Then she realized the only reason she couldn't move was because of the weight of someone else on top of her body.

Miroku was slumped to the ground, his body partially covering hers. He had saved her yet again.

"S – Sango?" He turned his body around, worried violet eyes staring straight at her. "Are you hurt?"

"_Houshi-sama_…" Something in his gaze was not quite right. "I'm fine."

Mixed feelings swept through her mind. The searing image of him with Riko – even though it was just a trick – was indelibly burned into her memory and she could see it even now. But now, as she looked at Miroku, more memories sprang to mind: burying her face in his robes deep in the bowels of Mt. Hakurei, the countless occasions he had saved her life, his proposal to her as they sat beside the riverbank… Sango blinked back the tears that had suddenly welled up.

He smiled faintly. "Good…that's good. Sango…I'm so sorry I hurt you…" He swayed back and forth unsteadily, presumably from excessive blood loss.

"_Houshi-sama_?" Sango put out her hand to his chest to steady him and felt the sticky wetness of his robes. Dread and horror filled her heart as she pulled her hand away to find it covered in blood.

His entire chest was soaked. Miroku's eyes rolled back into his head as he passed out but Sango caught him before he could fall.

"_Houshi-sama_!"

"Sango!"

She looked up, frantic with worry as Inuyasha and Kagome appeared at her side. Unnoticed by all of them, Kohaku beheaded Namaru and slipped quietly away into the forest.

_I'm sorry, Ane-ue, for doing this. I hope you can forgive me…and we will be together again someday._

**Author's Note: **The name Namaru means 'to conceal oneself'. Hope you like this update.


	6. It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

**Author's Note: **I've had enough of writing disclaimers. My name isn't Rumiko Takahashi, it's Yumi Michiyo. Okay, slight formatting and writing changes taking effect from now onwards. Enjoy.

************************************************************************

"Houshi-sama!"

Panic whined in Sango's ears as she ripped away Miroku's blood-soaked kesa and pulled down the collar of his koromo. She was barely aware of Kagome beside them, assisting her.

The wound was long and deep, starting from his right shoulder over his collarbone, running across his torso and ending just before his left hip. Even as they watched, blood spurted out thickly, hiding the cut from view. Sango felt sick with dread.

"Kagome!" Shippo suddenly materialized at Kagome's elbow, carrying her medical kit. Thanking him with a quick nod, she lost no time throwing it open and rummaging through its contents. She tossed a towel at Sango.

"Try to stop the blood from flowing!"

There was movement from where Namaru had fallen. Inuyasha had intended to finish the youkai but found that the job had already been done.

"Bitch's been beheaded," he growled, ears twitching. "Still, I don't like this. Something's not right."

Kagome and Sango were too busy to hear him as they fought to save Miroku's life.

Eventually, Inuyasha came back, hovering over them, golden eyes narrowed. Only the tenseness of his muscles indicated how worried he was. Shippo sobbed quietly at his feet.

The taijiya pressed the towel over the wound, applying pressure evenly the best she could. The white material turned red almost immediately and Sango found herself with her fingers partially submerged in his blood.

_Buddha… Please don't die, Houshi-sama! It can't end like this!_

Despite her desperate pleas, some part of Sango braced herself for the worst. She had grown up in a warrior's society and seen her fair share of grievous injuries. Nevertheless, it seemed unthinkable that this should be Miroku's end, slain by a mere youkai, still so far away from Naraku.

_Even when I wondered how he would die – _Sango's heart caught in her throat – I_ expected it to be consumed by his own Kazaana._

Kagome was working furiously, stanching and dressing the wound, her hands red up to the elbows. Finally, after what seemed like an age, she tied off the last knot and leaned back, wiping sweat from her brow. "Incredible… the naginata missed all of Miroku-sama's vital organs…" she marveled aloud, relief evident on her face.

"Is he going to live?" asked Sango roughly. Kagome bit her lip.

"I… don't know. He's lost so much blood…" The statement hung in the air. Inuyasha shook his head as though trying to clear the scent of blood from his senses.

Kagome got to her feet and turned to Inuyasha. "We need to move him to somewhere safer." The hanyou nodded, picking up the kesa and spreading it out on the ground beside the unconscious man. With Kagome's and Sango's help, he eased Miroku onto the cloth.

Inuyasha darted off into the forest to scout for a suitable place, returning a few minutes later.

"There's an abandoned hut in the middle of the forest, not far from here."

Inuyasha and Sango each took one end of the makeshift stretcher and began moving. Sango glanced at his face, which looked deathly white against the dark purple of the kesa. Her chest felt as though an invisible hand was clenching it tightly.

They dared not move quickly, for fear of disturbing the newly dressed injury. Already, fresh blood had seeped through the bandages, though the blood flow had been reduced considerably.

_Kagome-chan's managed to stop the bleeding – or is it because Houshi-sama has no more blood in his body?_

The darkness of Sango's heart whispered the thoughts to her mind and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to succumb to it. The last thing she had left to lose was hope.

If he were to die, a part of her would die with him.

"Sango?"

Even in the few rays of morning light penetrating the tops of the closely-packed trees in the forest, she could see the gleam of Inuyasha's eyes. For an instant, she thought she glimpsed a flash of sympathy in the hanyou's eyes before it was gone, replaced by his usual hard stare.

"Hai?"

"Whatever happens, no matter what, it isn't your fault."

"No, Inuyasha, it is." A tear snaked down her cheek silently. "I should have known better than to be deceived by such a simple trick. Now Houshi-sama might die because of me."

"Come on. I'm sure Miroku's going to make it. He wouldn't die without leaving an heir."

His feeble attempt at humour to lighten the situation worked nonetheless. Sango smiled weakly, grateful for Inuyasha's attempts at cheering her up in the only way he knew how.

_If only I could be so sure._

A welcoming glow ahead of them indicated the hut. Kagome and Shippo had gone ahead of them and lit a fire in the hearth. They now bustled about, preparing the bedding for Miroku.

The hut had obviously been a woodcutter's home, from the pile of firewood scattered outside and a rusty axe lying near it. It had been abandoned by its previous occupant who must have been in a hurry and thus still had some household amenities, such as a cooking pot and a pile of dusty bedding which Kagome had wisely left untouched.

Inuyasha and Sango carefully transferred the unconscious houshi over to his new bed and stepped back, letting Kagome examine him.

"The bleeding's almost stopped," she said, "but I'm worried about the amount of blood he's already lost." Kagome pursed her lips, weighing her next words. "The worst is over if Miroku-sama makes it through the rest of the day and tonight."

Her companions nodded grimly.

"Inuyasha, I need to get more medical supplies from home and since we're going to the Bone-Eater's Well, I think it'll help if we ask Kaede-baa-chan for some of her herbal medicines. We can't waste any time." Kagome's eyes flashed over to Miroku.

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan, I can watch over Houshi-sama while you and Inuyasha are gone," Sango said quickly.

Kagome reached into her medical kit and took out several rolls of bandages, a half-empty bottle containing a strange liquid and a pair of scissors, laying them out neatly on the raised wooden floor.

"Change his bandages daily and wash them using the alcohol in this bottle," she instructed, "Inuyasha and I will be back as soon as we can, probably in a few days." Pausing, she added, almost as an afterthought: "Shippo-chan, come with us."

The little kitsune blinked at her in astonishment. "But Kagome, I wanna stay here with Miroku…"

"Don't argue, come along," she insisted. Sango's eyes met Kagome's with a grateful look. Surprisingly, Inuyasha walked over and patted Sango's shoulder gruffly. Both girls stared, shocked by the normally reserved hanyou.

"What?" he growled, uneasy by their looks.

Kagome shook her head. "Nothing."

"Keh," retorted Inuyasha nonchalantly, turning prickly and defensive. He strode out the opening, contemptuously knocking aside the dusty door hanging as he passed.

Shippo paused, casting a backward glance at the prone figure lying there before resignedly following Inuyasha outside. Kagome remained where she was, waiting for them to leave. Impulsively, she bent down to hug Sango.

"Kagome-chan…"

The taijiya held Kagome tightly, trying to convey her guilt, worry and sorrow to her friend. Kagome rubbed her back, a sign she understood her feelings.

"Don't worry too much, Sango-chan, I'm sure Miroku-sama will be just fine," she whispered reassuringly. Sango gave her a watery smile as she struggled to maintain her brittle composure.

"Oi, wench, hurry up," yelled Inuyasha from outside. "You said we haven't any time to waste."

It was a mark of how worried Kagome was that she didn't immediately 'sit' Inuyasha for insulting her, letting it pass in silence. Sango knew that they were all trying to put up a strong front to keep her from feeling so guilty and she appreciated it. As she sat there beside the hearth poking the fire, she heard the sound of Inuyasha's footsteps fading away into the distance.

Now she was alone with her thoughts.

Sango busied herself with folding the purple kesa, trying to ignore its metallic odour of blood and put it away in one corner.

_Two nights ago, it smelt of incense and Houshi-sama._

Eventually the job was finished and she reluctantly shuffled over on her knees to a position closer to Miroku. Sango sat there, looking down into his pale face. Miroku's lips were ashy grey, but his breathing was regular and she took some comfort from that.

Bowing her head, tears flowed freely from her eyes as Sango cried.

"I'm sorry, Houshi-sama," she whispered, stroking his cheek. It was cold to the touch. "Please don't leave me. All the men in my life I ever loved left me. First my father, then Kohaku…"

A tear dropped on his face, unnoticed.

Then the incredible happened.

Miroku groaned and opened his eyes.

"H-Houshi-sama!" A wave of relief, so powerful it left her dizzy and light-headed, washed over Sango and she leaned in, clasping his hand. "You're awake!"

Miroku blinked, his normally clear violet eyes unfocused for a moment before his gaze rested on her. Slowly, he smiled, a pale shadow of his charming crooked smile.

"…San …go," he murmured. Miroku seemed to be speaking with great difficulty, his breath catching in his throat but to Sango, it was the sweetest two syllables she had heard.

"Don't speak. You need to rest." She reached for her bamboo water canteen, uncapping it and carefully pouring a little of its contents onto his cracked lips. Miroku swallowed weakly.

He closed his eyes after drinking, his breathing becoming slower and rhythmic. She was glad to notice it was less ragged than it had been before.

_Thank you, Buddha._

Smiling to herself, she settled down and watched Miroku sleep.

***************************************************************************************************************

A lone traveler walked along the road, singing an old folk song lustily as he went. Taro Masamune adjusted his furoshiki where it chafed at his neck. Already, his mouth watered for the rice balls his wife had made.

_Now, the villagers said there would be an abandoned temple where I can stop by and have my lunch._

He rounded the corner past the trees and stopped dead in his tracks.

There had been a battle of some sort, judging by all the dark smears of what looked like blood staining the ground around the temple. The building itself was reduced to ruins. Nervously, he approached the ruin, kicking aside a piece of wood as he went.

Masamune could never tolerate violence despite being born into a samurai family. When he grew up, he happily gave up his swords and topknot to be a merchant. The smell of blood was already turning his stomach.

Shuddering, he turned to go when a glint of metal caught his eye.

Masamune bent down and pushed away a tuft of long grass. A magnificent naginata lay on the ground, still clutched in its owner's death grip. He shivered, trying his best not to look at the severed head which lay close by.

The merchant's greed overcame his fear and he squatted down to examine the weapon closely, careful not to touch the corpse. His samurai upbringing had taught him to appreciate weaponry and this particular polearm was especially fine.

The long blade was mostly encrusted with dried blood but what little exposed steel shone brightly. A gold-plate dragon encircled the staff of the naginata, its fangs bared. To top it off, a large ornate knob graced the end of the staff.

_A fine weapon, _mused Masamune. _It shall surely fetch a fine price in the next town. _He reached out to pry the owner's hand off the blade…

The fingers tightened around the handle and with one clean sweep, the naginata removed Masamune's head from his shoulders.

The headless corpse fell heavily to the ground, blood gushing from the stump of its neck, covering the naginata's wielder. Strangely, the blood vanished, as though it had been sucked in by the corpse.

The first body sat up and picked its head from the ground, setting it back on its shoulders.

"That's better," muttered Namaru, rubbing her new neck. Under her hands, the ugly red line disappeared and she rolled her head, testing whether the neck held.

_Naraku's not the only one who can regenerate his body._

The youkai turned her pitiless stare to the headless corpse, now drained of blood. "Thank you, dear," she purred. "I'm grateful to you."

Namaru had been careful to kill the man without damaging his attire as much as possible. Now she stripped the corpse, taking his clothes and changing her appearance to that of his.

"Now," she chuckled, slinging the furoshiki around her shoulders, "let's have a rematch, Inuyasha."

_And I have a score to settle with you, Kohaku. _

**Author's Note: **Will update soon.


	7. Mending A Broken Heart

Lack of reviews makes me pissy. Okay, just kidding.

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The merchant traveled down the road quickly, not stopping for even a drink of water. Thin clouds of dust trailed after him, kicked up in his wake.

Namaru was no fool. She knew better than to pursue Inuyasha's group and demand a rematch, even when she knew they were badly handicapped: they didn't know she was still alive and they were all injured. Tempting as the element of surprise was, the youkai restrained her bloodlust.

First, she would seek out a certain hanyou. It was easier than she thought it would be. Naraku's evil aura stretched out for many ri over the land and it was so potent that Namaru could sense it even with the weak human's body she wore.

When she reached the makeshift mountain stronghold, Namaru was mildly disappointed to see no welcoming committee awaiting her. Instead, Kohaku stood there, his face blank as ever. The bake-kitsune cast off her disguise, reverting to her human appearance and fixed the young taijiya with a gaze full of venom.

"You're alive," he said flatly. "Naraku-sama is waiting for you inside."

"Kohaku! Damn you, boy! What were your intentions, trying to kill me like that?!" Her eyes flashed red with anger.

"Perhaps the same when you told me you were intending to betray Naraku-sama after all."

Namaru hesitated, and then frowned.

"I shall say nothing then."

She pushed past him, throwing open the sliding door to the entrance hall. Inside, on his raised dais, Naraku sat.

"Namaru."

The bake-kitsune did not bother acknowledging the greeting.

"I need more power if you expect me to kill those people."

Naraku smirked. "So even a youkai as experienced as you are fears the hanyou."

She bristled, fingers tightening around the handle of the naginata. "Don't test me, Naraku. I'd be more than happy to slice you into pieces here and now."

"Surely you would not dream of doing such a thing, Namaru." He opened his hand, revealing five Shikon shards glinting there. "Consider these advance settlement."

Her ears cocked forward as the youkai contemplated the shards. She finally reached for them and tucked them into her kimono.

"I will return for the rest of the jewel that you promised later," declared the bake-kitsune, mollified. Naraku inclined his head briefly.

"Take Kohaku and Kagura with you."

"I shall."

Rising to his feet, he dismissed Namaru with a wave of his hand. "Tell them to come in."

As soon as she left, Kohaku and Kagura entered and knelt before him.

"You know what to do," was all he said, waving them away the next moment.

Outside, when all three were airborne on Kagura's feather, Kohaku turned to Namaru.

_I'm lucky she did not expose me to Naraku but she cannot live, not while she can. I must protect Ane-ue and the others!_

"What shall we do this time?" asked the young boy.

Namaru grinned, exposing long curved fangs. "We strike when they least expect it." She pressed three of the shards into various places on her body, relishing the heady rush of power each one brought her.

_They are all fools, even that Naraku. I will kill them all and take the rest of the Shikon Jewel for myself. _

Behind them, Kagura eyed them both suspiciously, watching as Namaru used the remaining Shikon shards on her naginata.

_That Namaru is planning betrayal, I'm sure of it. But Kohaku? He is loyal to only Naraku. Or is he? _

The wind whistled in their ears as the group soared on.

***************************************************************************************************************

Sango pushed her fringe out of her eyes as she concentrated on the job at hand. It had been two days since Inuyasha and Kagome had left with Shippo and it was time to change Miroku's bandages again.

Cutting through the blood-soaked bandages, she carefully unwound the last of the clinging strips and exposed the cut to the air.

_No sign of infection… that's good. The wound is even knitting a little._

Relieved, she opened the bottle of alcohol. "Houshi-sama, this is going to hurt a little," she whispered, even though he could not hear her voice. Sango bit her lip and poured some over the injury.

"Nnngh…"

Miroku groaned in his sleep, his face contorting. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

She worked fast, dabbing away the excess alcohol and bandaging it up neatly. Finally, she tied the last knot and pulled up Miroku's blanket over the dressings.

He was still asleep, chest rising and falling. Sango crossed her hands delicately on her lap, watching him intently.

Now that he had pulled through the past few days, she was certain Miroku was going to survive this injury and she was immensely relieved about that. However, his recovery only delayed the inevitable.

Sango was yet again questioning her decision to stay with Miroku.

She had been looking forward to spending the rest of her life with him once Naraku was dead. Even though the girl he kissed had been a youkai in disguise, it did not change matters, only reinforcing the fact that Miroku was an incurable lecher who would never change, no matter what either of them said. What hurt the most was that just less than a week ago, Miroku had kissed her, raising her hopes of an idyllic future together.

Sango wanted to convince herself that he had been bewitched by the youkai's magic, that she alone held Miroku's heart.

_Houshi-sama… I want to believe you've changed._

He opened his eyes, jolting her from her chaotic thoughts.

"Sango…"

"You need to rest, Houshi-sama." Keeping a tremor out of her voice, she walked over to the hearth and lifted the cover of the pot there, stirring the contents and ladling some of it into a bowl. "Are you hungry?"

He made no reply, staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face. Sango pretended not to notice, blowing on the hot soup.

_Kami… did you sense what I was thinking? Please don't make this any harder for me._

Sango went over to him and slid an arm around his shoulders. Miroku helped her the best he could as she tried to maneuver him upright into an awkward half-sitting position, propped up against the wall of the hut.

The process was long and slow as Sango was unwilling to jostle him too much for fear of causing him pain and Miroku could hardly move. Occasionally, her chest would brush against Miroku's arm and colour tinted Sango's cheeks each time. Much to her surprise, he made no response, patiently and soundlessly cooperating with her.

_Houshi-sama must really be badly injured to not be taking advantage of the situation…_

At last, Sango thought she had settled Miroku reasonably comfortably.

"Is this fine, Houshi-sama? Are you in pain?" asked Sango anxiously.

Miroku shook his head, his face bathed in sweat. Picking up the washcloth, she wiped his face dry. As she made her way down to his neck, Sango gasped. The fresh white bandages were dotted with red patches, the wounds underneath having broken open.

"Houshi-sama! Your wounds – I'm so sorry!"

_Why didn't he tell me I was too rough? That baka!_

"It's…nothing." Miroku made to cover himself with the blanket but the simple effort was too much for him, the cloth slipping between his fingers. His face had gone pale.

"Houshi-sama, you should have let me know it was painful!" Sango was almost in tears now.

"Don't…worry… about it." He smiled weakly at her.

Guilt-stricken, Sango tucked the blanket around his waist and began feeding Miroku the soup, spooning it into his mouth. She could not bring herself to meet his eyes, knowing they would be patient and serene as always.

_It would make me feel worse._

Miroku obediently finished the whole bowl of soup and Sango helped him lie down again, this time easing him down into the bedroll.

"Get some sleep. You need a lot of rest to replenish the blood you lost."

Before Sango could turn away, Miroku grabbed her hand.

"Sango…wait." He was panting from the exertion but there was a note of steel in his voice.

She paused, her upper body turned away from him, looking into the hearth.

"Houshi-sama?"

"Look… at me."

Slowly, reluctantly, she did so. The firelight caught her brimming, tear-filled eyes, causing them to sparkle as she moved.

Pain radiated from Miroku's violet eyes as he stared deep into Sango's own.

"…Are you…still…mad at…me, Sango?" A tear slid down her cheek. Miroku made a convulsive effort to wipe it away with his free hand. She attempted half-heartedly to pull her hand away but his grip on it tightened, Miroku stubbornly refusing to let go.

When she looked at him, all Sango could see was Miroku locked in an embrace with the pretty young village girl, his lips pressed to hers.

_Those words… _Sango was transported back to the riverbank on that cold night, Miroku's kesa wrapped around her shoulders, warming her inside and out. She screwed her eyes shut, willing herself to forget what she had seen, letting the tears fall unrestrained.

"I've…hurt you…again…" A veil descended over his normally clear eyes. "Sango…please… I'm sorry…"

"You need to sleep, Houshi-sama," managed Sango past the sudden lump in her throat, trying to free herself from his grip again. Her hand slipped out of his easily.

Miroku turned his face away from her, towards the wooden wall, as Sango moved in the opposite direction.

Kirara had appeared halfway through the exchange, back from her hunting. Now, as she sensed Sango's distress, she padded over to her mistress, mewing.

"Kirara…" Sango picked up the nekomata. "What will I do now?" she asked quietly, her voice lost in the soft fur.

_How am I going to last until Kagome and Inuyasha get back?_

Her only answer was a soft mew.


	8. All Is Forgiven

**Author's Note: **The previous chapter was mainly Sango-centric so this one is mostly Miroku-centric.

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_Am I that strong_

_To carry on?_

_I might change your life_

_I might save my world_

_Could you save me?_

_**Falls On Me ~ Fuel**_

Sango spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning on her bedroll. The memory of the encounter replayed itself over and again before her eyes whenever she closed them, depriving her of rest.

Miroku pretended to sleep, watching her silently.

_This is my fault._

The healing wounds itched and he sighed softly, wishing he could scratch it. Sango had anticipated that, tying the bandages snugly enough so he could not work a hand underneath them. Despite being on the verge of being driven insane by the sensation, Miroku chuckled mentally. Focusing on his injuries helped Miroku take his mind off the fine mess the delinquent houshi had gotten himself into this time.

_Why won't she understand that I didn't want to kiss Rik – that youkai?_

An odd mix of emotions swirled in his heart: guilt over remembering Sango fleeing the scene tearfully, anger at himself for not being strong enough to push her away immediately, sadness that he had let both him and Sango down. It was almost too much for one man to handle.

If only Miroku could move freely, he would solve this problem the only way he knew how: seize Sango so she couldn't run away or thrash him and proceed to humbly and shamelessly beg her for her forgiveness.

The thought of having Sango wrapped in his arms, his face lost in her hair made his heart skip a beat.

Frustrated, he let out another sigh and adjusted his position on the futon, flexing his left hand experimentally. Miroku winced, feeling a twinge of pain. The gash Namaru had given him was deep and would take a while to heal.

_Well, I've had worse injuries._

Thin white scars already crisscrossed both his arms, starting from the shoulders and stretching all the way down to his hands, souvenirs of the tough life he led. Each one held a memory: slashes from Naraku's incarnations Kageromaru and Juromaru on his left arm, one from the vengeful bear youkai at Takeda's castle, the deep cut Sango inflicted when she was possessed by the salamander youkai.

Most of them had been received from protecting Sango, throwing himself in harm's way without a second thought. Even if Miroku could do it over again, he would not have it any other way.

_Sango means more to me than any other person._

It had been hard enough persuading his lovely taijiya that she alone occupied a special place in his heart and even harder to get her to open up to him. It now looked like all his effort had gone to naught, thanks to this disastrous sequence of events, triggered by his own lechery.

Miroku sneaked a glance over at Sango. Her back was resolutely turned to him, Kirara curled up near her shoulder but she appeared to be asleep. Squinting, he could only just make out a few details of her form: the sensuous curve of her hips, the black curtain of hair spread over the pillow, the outline of her chin. Excitement flared in his body as he ran an appreciative eye over her.

_She is so beautiful… if only she could realize that._

Unlike him, Sango was ashamed of her scars. She refused to believe she could be attractive to men, not when her body was marred and marked.

Miroku was interrupted by Kirara's eyes snapping open, the nekomata blinking at him through the gloom.

"…Kirara?" he whispered.

She did not deign to answer him, raising her nose inquisitively. Outside, the sky was beginning to brighten.

Sango stirred and woke, raising herself into a sitting position.

"Kirara?"

Kirara mewed and with a swift bound, leapt out the door. Sango watched her go, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. When she turned to check on Miroku, he quickly squeezed his eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.

"Houshi-sama? Are you awake?"

Miroku kept his face blank. After a short period of silence, he heard soft footsteps and the clatter of the wooden water pail, venturing a peek once the sounds had completely died away.

He was alone in the hut, Sango presumably having gone to fetch water.

The houshi sighed, already regretting feigning sleep in order to avoid contact with her.

The only logical step for him to take to undo this mess was to confess everything: tell Sango she was the woman Miroku truly loved. His earlier confession was incomplete, his proposal to her deliberately vague. What could he do? Miroku almost regretted telling her anything in the first place but keeping it a secret for any longer would have killed him inside.

_How do I tell her that I can't stop thinking about her, even when we're together? How can I promise her the rest of my life when it could be only be a few years long? How can I bring myself to break her heart if my time runs out?_

A tear slid from the corner of his eye and he roughly swiped at it. Keeping up a jovial, carefree mask to conceal his worry over the Kazaana was easy enough when he had been doing it for almost the whole of his life. Keeping up the mask to hide his feelings for Sango was so much harder.

Miroku's wounds started itching again and he shifted about, trying his best to ignore it. Outside, footsteps alerted him to Sango's return.

"Houshi-sama?" She filled the pot over the smouldering fire and her water canteen, putting the empty bucket to one side. Miroku forced a cheerful smile.

"…Sango. Good…morning…Sleep well?"

"Hai." She knelt by his side, proffering the canteen to him. "Drink some water."

There was a new formality in the way she behaved towards him now. Miroku grimly drank a little water and refused more.

Surprise flashed across Sango's face before it was replaced by a stoic mask. "Breakfast will be ready in a little while."

"I'm…not hungry," said Miroku stubbornly.

"Houshi-sama, you must eat to recover and regain your strength." The coolness in her voice made his heart break.

"Then what?"

"Then…Then we can continue on our quest to defeat Naraku." She looked away from him, busying herself with the pot in the hearth.

"Is…that all, Sango?"

She bit her lip. The pain in his voice was clearly audible, yet she chose not to hear it.

"You will be free of your Kazaana then, Houshi-sama, and I will have avenged my people and freed Kohaku."

"I…see," Miroku said softly. "What…about us?"

Sango bowed her head, hiding her eyes from him.

"If…I have…hurt you…that much, maybe…we will forget…what I…asked of you."

Sango's heart stopped beating.

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Inuyasha streaked across the country, feet pounding, a thin trail of dust left in his wake. Kagome was perched on his back, her yellow backpack swelled to astonishing proportions and wobbling dangerously.

"Are we reaching yet?" she asked. Shippo, who was clinging to her shoulder, leaned forward for Inuyasha's answer.

"Almost," barked the hanyou, leaping over a fallen trunk. "We should be there before noon."

"Don't you need a rest?"

"Keh. I'm not some weak human who needs to sit down every hour."

"Inuyasha!"

He scowled, deciding that keeping his mouth closed would be safer for his health. Kagome anxiously checked on the package of herbs Kaede had given them yesterday, mentally going over the older miko's instructions.

"_Ye should press these into the wounds," Kaede had said, holding up a handful of leaves and wrapping them up. She gathered a bunch of assorted plants and set them to one side. "This is a blood-replenishing potion. Boil these and give the liquid to Houshi-dono to drink."_

"_Will that be all, Kaede-baa-chan?" she had asked worriedly._

"_Aye. Even though his injuries are very serious, from what ye told me, his houriki is very strong. The houshi-dono should recover fast. But in case, take this." _

_The elderly miko reached into her medicine cabinet and withdrew a small ceramic pot bound with straw rope. "This is a powerful salve my sister Kikyou left. Apply it to the wounds."_

Kagome had accepted the medicines gratefully, reassured that she was well-prepared to treat Miroku. Although her backpack was already bulging with medical supplies from her time, she thought it was best to consult Kaede's vast medical knowledge.

Inuyasha sniffed the air vigorously all of a sudden. "We're near. I can smell Miroku and Sango."

Speeding up, the hanyou soon ground to a halt in front of the non-descript hut. Kagome leapt off his back and burst through the door.

"Miroku-sama! Sango-chan! We're – "

She stopped short, taking in the tension-fraught atmosphere: Sango, her back ramrod-straight, determinedly not looking at Miroku. The houshi was staring into space, his violet eyes dark. As if a spell had been broken, they both turned to Kagome and smiled.

"Kagome-sama," said Miroku warmly, the turbulent emotions in his face fading away to be replaced by a smile which did not quite reach his eyes. "You've returned safely."

"Kagome-chan, you're back." Sango rose and walked over to the younger girl, helping her to unload the heaving backpack.

Shippo came in, hugging Miroku and Sango excitedly.

"We missed you!"

Inuyasha merely poked his head in. "Heh, Miroku, so you're still alive."

"Good to see you too, Inuyasha," replied Miroku.

"Hurry up and get better, baka." He withdrew his head. Kagome bristled.

"Inuyasha, you insensitive – ! _Osuwari_!"

There was a loud thump and a muffled cry from outside.

Ignoring the grumbling from the angry hanyou, Kagome looked at both her friends. Something was going on but she judged it wise not to interfere for now.

"I brought both Kaede-baa-chan's herbal remedies and some medicines from my time," she said cheerfully, kneeling at Miroku's side and rummaging through the backpack. "So you get to choose which you'd like, Miroku-sama."

He smiled. "I think I shall leave it to you, Kagome-sama."

"Let me have a look at the wounds first. Sango-chan, fetch me the water and scissors, please…"

Cutting off all the bandages, Kagome inspected Miroku's chest and arm closely.

"You did a great job, Sango-chan. The wounds are already starting to heal." The miko unwrapped the parcels of herbs, pouring the contents of one into an empty pot. "Could you boil these?"

In a short time, Kagome cleaned the cuts and administered the herbs, bandaging them up again. Miroku bore the dressing without making a sound, though his face was covered with sweat. A pungent smell was beginning to fill the tiny hut by the time she had finished.

"Ew! What's that smell, Kagome?" asked Shippo, wrinkling his nose.

"It's the herbs," she said, bending down to examine the brew. Scooping some into a small bowl, she passed it to Sango. "Could you give this to Miroku-sama?"

"Kagome-chan…couldn't you…?"

"I have to go outside and fetch some more water." Kagome picked the bucket up innocently. "I'll go with you, Kagome!" volunteered Shippo. She beamed at him.

Kagome shot Sango a meaningful look before leaving, the taijiya's protests dying in her throat.

_Listen to him._

They left the hut, leaving Sango and Miroku alone in an uncomfortable silence.

Sango took the bowl very reluctantly, holding it in both her hands. Swirling the liquid around, she watched the steam rise.

"Sango?" Miroku inclined his head towards her.

"Houshi-sama?"

"I…love you with…all that I am. I…always have…and always will."

Sango almost dropped the bowl. Some liquid spilled over her green apron but she seemed not to notice.

"Houshi-sama… W – what?"

"It may be…impossible for me to…convince you of…this now I know…you hate me. I don't…blame you, Sango. But I…want you to know this…and no matter…what you choose, you…will always have…my blessing."

He averted his gaze just as tears began prickling his eyes. Miroku's heart finally broke into a million shards as he spoke the next words.

"I…I release you…from your promise."

A small gasp burst from Sango's lips. The bowl of medicine fell to the floor with a tinkle, its contents splashing over the wooden planks.

Before he could say anything more, she threw herself down, wrapping her arms around his neck, face buried in his hair. Hot tears fell on Miroku's face.

"Sango…" He squeezed her arm gently.

"Baka Houshi-sama," sobbed Sango, "I love you. You are my reason for being, the only one I ever wanted."

"But – "

"It's not as though I didn't know you were such a lecher before I fell in love with you, Houshi-sama. It's part of who you are and I accept it. Why would you think I would hate you?"

Miroku's heart skipped a beat. "So you…forgive me?"

"Yes."

Miroku inhaled her scent, feeling her breath caress his skin and wished the moment would never end.

When Kagome came back, she cautiously lifted a corner of the door hanging and dropped it almost immediately, smiling to herself.

"Kagome? What is it?" enquired Shippo.

"Nothing. Let's go join Inuyasha over there, I think Miroku needs to rest." She led the little kitsune away to the nearby clearing where Inuyasha was waiting. Kirara was there as well, standing proudly over her catch of several large fish from the river.

"Took you long enough to fetch just a bucket of water," he grumbled, clearly still angry at her for 'sitting' him earlier.

"Sorry, Inuyasha," said Kagome dreamily. She sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. The hanyou's golden eyes widened in surprise.

"What's with you?"

"Oh, nothing…"

He scoffed but his voice was noticeably softened.

"Keh."

**Author's Note: **This chapter and the last was incredibly hard to write, it took me two weeks and seven rewrites altogether. Hope it turned out fine.


	9. A Multitude Of Deceptions

**Author's Note: **This chapter is dedicated to **kdec**, **ardy1**, **Griddlebone**, **kmoaton**, **bingbangboom714**, **Arianna441 **and **Bane-Treller. **Thanks for your reviews.

The fic has been pretty serious up till here and I think it needs a jab of humour.

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_I'm not a perfect person_

_There are many things I wish I didn't do_

_But I continue learning_

_I never meant to do these things to you_

_**The Reason ~ Hoobastank**_

Night was falling fast over the woods and soon, the small clearing outside the hut was lighted by the flickering fire they had just set. Inuyasha sat a little away in his favorite cross-legged position, already taking the first watch for the night.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, completely bewildered by Kagome's sudden change of mood. One moment, she 'sat' him for 'being insensitive', the next, she was all mellow and acting strangely…_giggly_.

He was not alone in his confusion. The next minute, Shippo leaned over and whispered, low enough for only his demonic hearing: "Inuyasha, what's with Kagome?"

"Keh, how would I know?" he grunted. "What happened while you two were fetching water?"

The little kitsune scratched his chin thoughtfully, twirling a lollipop Kagome had given him in his mouth. "Nothing…she was already like that, smiling to herself."

The hanyou's eyes slid sideways to the fire, where Kagome was boiling some water for their dinner of ramen. She looked completely out of it, a dreamy, introspective look on her face as she poked the flames with a stick.

"Hey, Kagome!"

"Hmm?" She blinked and returned to reality, giving Inuyasha a quizzical glance.

"What's with you?" Shippo inwardly groaned at his bluntness. "Did something happen to make you all…_happy_ and stuff?"

A shy smile spread over her face. "Oh...nothing." She started pulling bowls of instant ramen out of her backpack. "You wouldn't understand it anyway," Kagome muttered under her breath.

When the water started to boil, Kagome poured it into the bowls.

"Sango-chan! Dinner's ready!"

After a prolonged period without any response, Sango eventually emerged from the hut, supporting Miroku. She had one arm wrapped protectively around his lower back, allowing her to support some of his body weight. In his left hand, Miroku used his shakujou as a walking stick.

Both Kagome and Inuyasha sprang to their feet. "Miroku-sama! You shouldn't be walking yet!" chided the young girl as they went to assist the houshi.

Miroku flashed them both a charming smile as they guided him to the fireside and propped him up against a nearby boulder.

"Thank you for your concern, Kagome-sama, but I feel quite fine already."

"You'd better not overdo it, Miroku," warned Inuyasha gruffly, accepting his ramen from Kagome. "Otherwise your wounds won't bind properly."

He nodded as he poked his chopsticks into his food.

In a short period of time, both Inuyasha and Shippo had finished eating and were asking for seconds. Much to everyone's surprise, Miroku finished his food with a polite slurp and joined them.

"You're certainly hungry today, Miroku-sama," said Kagome as she handed him another bowl. He thanked her and dug in.

After they had all finished eating, Miroku took on a serious face. "Inuyasha, what happened to Namaru?"

The hanyou frowned. "I was gonna finish her off because she wasn't dead yet but somebody beat me to it."

"So she's dead?"

"I think so," Inuyasha narrowed his golden eyes thoughtfully. "I gotta bad feeling about the whole thing, that's all."

The houshi nodded, and winced, his hand flying to his chest.

"Houshi-sama!"

"Miroku-sama!"

"Miroku!"

Sango, Kagome and Shippo cried out simultaneously, darting forward. They paused when he raised a hand, the girls' eyes filled with worry.

"I'm…alright. Shouldn't have moved too much," he explained, a sickly grin on his suddenly pale face.

"I think you need to go back in now, Houshi-sama." Sango made to slide an arm underneath his shoulders as Inuyasha took Miroku's other side but he resisted.

"I'm perfectly fine," he insisted, politely but firmly pushing aside their hands and taking his shakujou back into his hand. "I've been resting these past few days, let me take the first watch tonight."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Whatever. It's your body, monk," he muttered, ignoring Kagome's exclamation of "Inuyasha!" in the background.

Miroku looked at Sango, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "You on the other hand, my dear Sango, should sleep now."

"Houshi-sama…" she protested, unspoken argument in her eyes.

"Go and get some rest, Sango," he said softly, meeting her gaze head on. "You must be exhausted, taking care of a poor injured monk night and day."

"I…"

"I think you should, Sango-chan," interrupted Kagome abruptly, seizing the older girl's hand and dragging her into the hut. "Come along, Shippo."

"Pleasant dreams, my lovely Sango," called Miroku, a smirk on his face.

"Pervert," she replied without missing a beat and unexpectedly, she smiled.

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"This is the place."

Namaru knelt down, tracing the dark stain on the ground with a finger. She raised her head and sniffed the air tentatively.

"The scent is weak, but still there." The bake-kitsune tightened her grip on the handle of her naginata. "They can't have gone very far."

Kagura leaned against a tree, waving her fan back and forth lazily. "So we don't have to ride with me, I hope?"

"That was uncalled for, wind sorceress," hissed Namaru through clenched teeth. Her long white fangs were clearly visible, even in the pale light of the crescent moon overhead. "Don't make me remove your head _accidentally_."

"Like you lost yours, huh?" she shot back.

The other youkai spat. Ignoring Naraku's incarnation, she squinted into the dark mass of trees which marked the beginning of the wood.

"Let's go. Kagura, you go first but go slowly."

She raised an eyebrow but nevertheless strode forward into the brush. Beckoning to Kohaku, Namaru followed after her.

"So, boy," she whispered so Kagura could not hear,"you remember nothing since Naraku took you in?"

Kohaku kept his eyes cast downwards. "No."

"Nothing whatsoever?"

The boy remained silent. The chain of his kusari-gama jingled softly as he walked.

"Hmm. Too bad. I was hoping you could tell me about the female taijiya." As she said the last remark almost carelessly, the youkai's eyes darted sideways, searching intently for any telltale reaction.

Admirably, Kohaku kept his cool. "I know nothing about her." Unbidden, images of Sango's tear-stained face leapt to his mind.

"I see." Disappointment was evident in Namaru's voice. They walked on without anything else passing between the both of them.

Kohaku's entire body was rigid with tension. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his face as he weighed his options.

_She knows…but how much? If I kill her now, Naraku would suspect something._

Behind him, out of his field of vision, the faint sound of wings humming signaled the presence of Naraku's ever present saimyosho spies. A muscle twitched in the boy's cheek.

_I can't do anything with those insects watching!_

Namaru had leaned in unexpectedly.

"You and that girl have similar armour and moves, so I think you're the best to deal with her," said the bake-kitsune smoothly. "Kill her, Kohaku, and that wounded houshi with her, if he isn't already dead."

His mind snapped. Fighting to keep his voice steady, Kohaku whipped his face towards her.

"My lady, Naraku-sama instructed me to only assist you. I cannot take this great responsibility for fear I will disappoint you. Furthermore, my skills are nothing compared to yours. You will certainly have no trouble killing her." The words ran off the young taijiya's tongue like water as he made his excuses sound as plausible as he could.

The youkai smirked. "Very flattering, Kohaku. I would believe you if I didn't know you've regained your memory."

He stopped walking, his blood turning to ice in his veins. "My lady – "

Namaru stopped walking as well. Slowly wheeling around, Kohaku saw her the expression in her eyes shift from cunning to triumph.

Without any of them noticing, Kagura had fallen back and was watching the entire tableau from behind the cover of the trees.

"So," she began very softly and dangerously. "The mouse bites back. We both know that girl is your sister."

Kohaku raised his kusari-gama in a white-knuckled grip, muscles tight like a coiled spring, ready to attack. All the colour had drained from his face.

"I assume Naraku doesn't know you regained your memories? Keh, what one would expect of a lowly hanyou like him. I wonder what he will do to you when he finds out – !"

There was a white flash as Kohaku's weapon sliced through the air. Namaru jerked her head backward in the nick of time, narrowly avoiding being decapitated again.

"You – you…" Anger fired his blood even as dread froze it. He knew the saimyosho behind them would surely have taken in the whole scene and reported it to his master.

_He knows. It's over. I won't be able to protect Ane-ue anymore._

The taijiya's hand suddenly dropped to his side limply and he bowed his head as all the fight evaporated. Namaru flashed him a look of superior smugness.

"Don't worry, my dear Kohaku," she purred, "Do as I say and Naraku need not know what has happened here."

A flicker passed through Kohaku's face.

_She doesn't know about the saimyosho!_

Desperation settled on his face, his mouth a grim slash.

_I have nothing left to lose except my life. Ane-ue, consider this penance for everything I've done._

"I will do what you will." Kohaku's shoulders dropped and he did his best to appear defeated and resigned. Happily, Namaru took the bait.

"So you shall."

Looking ahead, the bake-kitsune spotted the colourful back of Kagura's kimono.

"Kagura!"

The wind sorceress paused and walked back. "What?"

"Listen closely. You two can't get to close, they'll sense the Shikon shards and your demonic aura. I'll attack first, then I want you, Kohaku, to attack the taijiya and you, Kagura, attack the other girl by surprise." The youkai paused to slide a tongue over her fangs. "An ambush when they're least expecting it."

Kagura shot a surprised look at Kohaku, who remained impassive.

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Once Kagome made sure Sango and Shippo were asleep, she marched out and planted herself in front of a startled Miroku.

"What happened that night?" she demanded in a loud whisper. "Tell me every single thing."

Inuyasha materialized at Kagome's elbow, his intense golden eyes hard as flint. "We're listening."

"I…err…" Sweat dripped down the back of Miroku's neck as Kagome's and Inuyasha's eyes bored into him. "Why, I don't see the need for such scrutiny!"

Their sole response was to raise a single eyebrow each. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Miroku would have laughed out loud.

"Well, I think we all know now that Riko was actually that Namaru in disguise. The real Riko we met is dead, along with the rest of her family. Naraku sent her to deprive us of our Shikon shards and she did that by impersonating the girl – "

" – much to your delight, I suppose – " muttered Kagome. Miroku had the grace to blush.

"…I resent that, Kagome-sama. Anyway, I was just checking on her when she grabbed onto my robes and refused to let go. I did try to pry her fingers off but I couldn't, she was still badly injured!" Miroku was almost whining, faced with the uniform displeasure of his two friends.

"Then?" prompted Kagome.

"Well. She suddenly kissed me and refused to back off. I was still trying to get her off me when Sango came in and saw us." Miroku folded his arms slowly, careful not to disturb his bandages. The gesture was defiant, daring Kagome and Inuyasha to find something immoral in his actions.

They did.

"You should've pushed her off right away!" Inuyasha whisper-yelled. "She's a damn youkai in disguise!"

"How was I supposed to know that then – " cut in Miroku hotly.

"The fact she was energetically kissing you despite being grievously wounded should have given you a clue," quipped Kagome dryly. The monk coloured again.

"Alright, I concede that point. But after Sango fled, I pushed Riko off and tried to go after her. Riko revealed her true form then and attacked me. I couldn't escape because she'd put up a barrier I couldn't break."

"How does Kohaku fit into this?" asked Kagome after a long pause.

"Surprisingly enough, I don't know," confessed Miroku, shifting in his seat. "Namaru was about to kill me when he saved me. Yes, it's true," he quickly added upon seeing the looks of shock on Kagome's and Inuyasha's faces. "First he saved me, then he attacked Sango. I don't understand it either."

Inuyasha assumed a thoughtful expression. "Yeah. Kinda strange."

Abruptly, it was gone, replaced by a wariness. "Miroku."

He frowned, body tensing. The houshi's left hand automatically went to the prayer beads wrapped around his Kazaana. "Yeah."

"You felt it too? It was only for an instant – "

A blinding flash, and Inuyasha leapt forward.

"Kagome!"

The kusari-gama's arc would have included the miko's head if it hadn't been for Inuyasha's intervention. It flew back into Kohaku's hand as he emerged from the bushes.

_Good, Inuyasha. You anticipated me, like I hoped._

The young boy's eyes were blank as he contemplated the three of them: Inuyasha snarling, arms curled protectively around the girl, the latter pale with shock and amazement, and the houshi, seated against the boulder. The hollowness of his face hinted that he was still suffering from his injuries.

"You fool!"

Namaru strode from the rustling bushes, scowling.

"Namaru!" growled Inuyasha. "So you're alive, bitch."

She refused to dignify him with a response. "If you survive this, Kohaku, maybe you'll learn the meaning of a proper ambush." Raising her naginata, she sprang forward, all in one fluid movement.

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the incongruous humour in the middle, couldn't resist it. Anyway, reviews are very much appreciated so I know what you guys loved, what you hated, and what you think I should be sucked into the Wind Tunnel for. Love.


	10. An Ending And A Beginning

**Author's Note: **I have to change the rating because of Inuyasha's language and… probable future lemony content. Sorry, kids. Oh, and the story starts to diverge a lot from the manga but I claim artistic license.

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_How can you see into my eyes like open doors  
Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb  
Without a soul  
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold  
Until you find it there and lead  
It back home_

_**Bring Me To Life~Evanescence**_

As Namaru drove her naginata towards them, Inuyasha dove out of range, Kagome safely clasped in his arms. Miroku gripped the boulder he was leaning on for support and rose unsteadily to his feet.

_Damn, the bitch has gotten a lot faster! _thought Inuyasha. Though he did not show it, the blade had grazed his back, the tiny trickle of blood unnoticed against his red haori.

"Bastard houshi. Still alive?" Namaru shot Miroku a wolfish smile, completely ignoring Inuyasha.

"I'm sick of seeing you, youkai," said Miroku coldly, clutching the prayer beads tightly in his left hand. "Kazaana!" He ripped the beads off in one fluid motion, opening his right fist –

"Miroku-sama, stop!"

All eyes whirled on Kagome, who gently disengaged herself from Inuyasha. A look of shock passed over the houshi's face but he rewrapped his hand obediently. He still kept his left hand on the beads, ready to take them off at the slightest word.

"She's carrying Shikon shards on her!"

"Keh. No wonder, bitch. I didn't think you would have gotten so powerful on your own!" snarled Inuyasha, his hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga, ready to draw it.

"Damn!" Miroku cursed loudly, letting his hand fall to his side, taking up the shakujou again.

Namaru shouldered her weapon, tossing a contemptuous glance in his direction.

"Too bad, houshi. Now, for unfinished business…"

"Miroku, watch out!"

Guessing her next move, Inuyasha had drawn Tetsusaiga and bounded forward but it was too late. The youkai whipped the blade downwards in a blindingly swift motion towards Miroku –

"Hiraikotsu!"

The old door hangings were ripped away as the Hiraikotsu tore out of the hut, slamming into the bake-kitsune's side. Sango and Shippo charged out in its wake, the taijiya already dressed in her slayer's uniform. When Namaru did not immediately get up, Sango turned her attention to the houshi.

"Are you alright, Houshi-sama?" she called anxiously.

He nodded, gripping his shakujou in a white-knuckled hand. What little colour in his face from the exertion of getting up had receded and his wounds were starting to throb painfully. Wincing, Miroku gritted his teeth against the pain.

A flurry of movement next to him, and Shippo had scrambled on top of the stone. "Are you sure, Miroku? You're very pale all of a sudden." The little kitsune's hands clutched the monk's robe, trying to pull him away from the attackers back to the hut. "Come on, you haven't recovered yet anyway!"

"Yeah, out of the way, Miroku! You're in no condition to fight!" growled Inuyasha. "Leave this to us! This bitch isn't much anyway, Shikon shards or not."

Miroku shook his head stubbornly, frowning. "I'm staying, Shippo. I'll be fine. Inuyasha and Sango might need my help." He cast a worried glance over at the taijiya as he saw her reaction towards Kohaku.

Namaru got to her feet, spitting a dark string of blood over the grass and kicking Hiraikotsu aside. She scowled at Inuyasha, displaying a row of bloody teeth. Kagome, who by now had gotten her bow and arrows, instinctively moved closer to the hanyou, all the while keeping an arrow trained on the youkai.

"Inuyasha! There are three shards on her body and two in the naginata!" shouted Kagome.

The hanyou smirked. "Where are they, Kagome? I'll cut them out!"

The wind hissed as Namaru became a mere blur of movement. Inuyasha's golden eyes widened as she became too fast even for him to track.

"Kagome, watch out!" As he spoke the words, his body was already in motion, hand outstretched to where he anticipated Namaru. He wasn't expecting to see the blur change direction mid-dash, pounding around Kagome and heading straight for him.

"Sankon Tesso!" Striking wildly at her with his left hand, Inuyasha felt his fingers grow slick with blood, the claws tearing through armour, cloth and flesh. Namaru shrieked in pain, leaping clear of her opponent to examine her wound. Luckily for her, he had missed the crucial part where her shard had been buried.

The hanyou examined the blood on his hand casually. "That was easier than I thought it would be."

His only answer was a feral growl.

"The shards are in her neck, right arm and chest!" called Kagome from behind him. Maddened by her injuries, Namaru rounded on her, disappearing into a blur of motion. The young girl was startled.

"Ah!" Adjusting her bow to compensate for the rapidly changing position of the youkai, she took aim briefly and fired.

The arrow went wide of its target, striking the ground at Namaru's feet. Nevertheless, the spiritual energy Kagome had imbued it with stung her adversary, enough to throw her off balance.

Inuyasha sprang forward, taking advantage of the opportunity to bring Tetsusaiga down on her right arm. The fang sliced cleanly through bone and muscle, and the hanyou seized the severed arm. He tossed it to Kagome, who plucked the shard from inside the jagged wound and purified it, a look of disgust on her features.

"One shard down, youkai," grinned Inuyasha triumphantly.

Namaru had not made a sound when she lost her arm. Turning to face the hanyou fully, rivulets of blood trickling down her chin showed that she had bitten all the way through her lower lip in her agony. Insanity danced in her reddening eyes.

Demented laughter began deep in her chest, peals of sound echoing around the forest. Both Inuyasha and Kagome looked worried and they began backing away from her. Abruptly, the laughter stopped.

"I have nothing to lose now," she said quietly, eerily similar to Kohaku. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, unsure of whether to attack.

_She's on the brink of insanity, her fighting will most likely be unpredictable, _he thought.

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At the other end of the forest clearing, a blank-faced Kohaku was dueling Sango. Kirara stood by in her large form, giving small growls of distress as she watched the two humans she loved most fighting each other.

"Kohaku! Wake up!" pleaded Sango as she pulled back a strike with Hiraikotsu which would have otherwise taken off her brother's head. He merely regarded her with round, empty eyes, sending out his weapon at her. Sango's eyes widened and she jerked back her head just in time to avoid the curved blade.

_That was a move meant to kill! _She watched him warily, the two taijiya circling each other like caged panthers. _Kohaku, what have you become? _Without her realizing it, a tear slowly slid down her cheek.

Spectator to the siblings' fight was Miroku. He leaned heavily on his shakujou, breath coming in little gasps, white from the exertion of just staying upright. At his feet, Shippo had a small hand on his robe, uncertain whether to move, as transfixed by Sango and Kohaku as Miroku was.

The monk's heart caught in his throat when he saw the tear on Sango's face. The battle aura his taijiya was exuding was both overwhelmingly filled with anger and wracked with sorrow and it hurt him that she was suffering so much yet he could do nothing to help her.

Miroku swore under his breath, furious with himself for being so useless. While he knew enough not to interfere in Sango's fight, at the least he could protect Kagome while Inuyasha fought Namaru. Blunt as the hanyou was, the houshi knew he was right. He was most useful staying out of the others' way because of the hindrance of his injuries.

The battle between Inuyasha and Namaru raged on in part of the clearing as they traded blows, blades ringing. She seemed to have grown stronger as she wielded the naginata one-handed, slashing and hacking wildly at her opponent. The Shikon shards embedded in the weapon lent the bake-kitsune's desperate strength a ferocity which had the hanyou's arms ringing from the sheer force of each blow. Normally the aggressor in battle, Inuyasha found himself fending off her blows most of the time, dodging and ducking as the landscape was rapidly reduced to craters around him.

_I can't get an attack in! I have to get to that shard in her neck!_

Since she had no detectable demonic aura, he could not use Kaze no Kizu on her, depending instead on swordplay alone. A particularly wild swing had Inuyasha rolling on the ground.

_Now!_

The hanyou got to his feet, using Tetsusaiga in one hand to block another cut and dived forward. Namaru reacted with surprising speed, dropping a back-handed slice on Inuyasha's shoulder even as he wrenched a Shikon shard from her throat. He landed awkwardly, a growl of pain escaping his lips as he fell on the injured shoulder.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome ran to his side, her bow left in the grass.

The bake-kitsune dropped to one knee, propping herself up with her naginata, dark liquid flowing from the remnants of her torn throat.

"Bastard half-breed." The words were barely audible.

"You just don't know when to shut up, bitch." Inuyasha snarled. Nudging Kagome aside, he swiped at Namaru's chest with his claws, scooping out the final Shikon shard.

"Keh. That wasn't even much of a fight." The hanyou raised his sword to deliver the final blow –

Blades of wind shot from the trees and Inuyasha barely managed to deflect them with the flat of his sword. Kagome ducked behind him to escape the vicious attack. Moments later, Kagura emerged, carrying her fan.

"Huh, looks like you can't kill a dog even with Shikon shards," she scoffed, snapping her fan shut. "What was Naraku thinking when he gave you the shards?"

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Sango let out a grunt as she swung Hiraikotsu at Kohaku, the boy easily avoiding it. Since they were both trained by the same man, each knew the other's moves well. The two taijiya tumbled and danced with fluid grace, sweat pouring off their bodies. Signs of fatigue were showing on Kohaku's face.

Miroku watched both fighters closely, itching to help. Ignoring the throbs of pain in his chest, he remained standing at the side with Kirara and Shippo.

Sango drove Hiraikotsu into the ground, using it as a barrier to counter Kohaku's strike. Unable to pull it completely out in time, she weaved out and punched at him. The awkward angle of the punch caused her to overstep and her centre of balance shifted.

He took advantage of it, kicking at her outer foot. Sango fell heavily on her side but rolled away as the kusari-gama thudded into the mud where her head had been. Angrily, she released her hidden blade and lashed out at her brother's leg. With a flick of his foot, Kohaku stamped down on the blade and twisted it, releasing the catch. The useless blade was flipped out of her reach and he raised his kusari-gama. Disarmed, Sango braced herself for the killing blow.

"Sango!"

Miroku staggered forward, horror in his eyes, shakujou raised in both hands. The dull pain flared into a raging white-hot agony which radiated from his torso. He felt the wounds reopen, cracking underneath his bandages but the monk did not care, inserting his body between the siblings.

"Houshi-sama!" She tried to push him away but could not because of the awkward angle at which she lay.

The sickle never fell.

Kohaku stood there, his weapon poised mid-air. Abruptly, the mask he wore dropped and a million emotions flashed across his face: sorrow, regret, guilt, hatred.

Miroku lowered his weapon slowly, staring at the young boy intently.

_Could it be…!_

Just as quickly as it appeared, it had fallen away and the cold look was back on the boy's face. He stepped back, his hand falling to his side.

Sango slowly opened her eyes.

_Why isn't he striking?_

"Kohaku?"

Vacant eyes darted over them.

Blinking away the tears in his eyes from the pain in his chest, Miroku dropped to one knee, leaning heavily on his shakujou. "Sango…are you alright?" Shippo, who until then had been standing on the sidelines with Kirara, joined him, attending to her other side.

She drew herself up into a sitting position. "Houshi-sama, I'm fine…But your wounds…" She trailed off, seeing the reddish stain at the collar of his koromo.

He placed a reassuring hand over hers and squeezed.

Turning his attention to Kohaku, Miroku stared straight into the young taijiya's eyes and fervently hoped he was doing the right thing.

"Kohaku…you've regained your memories, haven't you."

_What! Regained his memories?_ Shocked, Sango glanced between her brother and the houshi.

Kohaku stared back into Miroku's eyes. They were dark violet, an unusual colouration. But the look in them was the most unnerving for the boy. His eyes seemed to be penetrating his very soul. Kohaku felt as though he could hide nothing from the intense scrutiny.

Tilting his head up slightly, Kohaku relented.

_There is no reason left for me to conceal myself._

"Yes." He looked at Sango. "Ane-ue."

Sango's heart leapt. "Kohaku…"

Her brother had finally returned to her. Joy overflowed her heart as she got up and tried to touch him.

The stoic expression on his face did not change as he avoided her hand. "I remember everything, Ane-ue. I remember killing Father and the others. Kami, so many others…" His voice broke and he covered his mouth with a hand, the faces of the dead and their agonized screams filling his senses.

A sudden warmth startled him. Sango had put her arms around his neck, drawing him into a hug. Tears that were not his own wet his cheeks.

"Kohaku." His sister's voice was thick with emotion as she finally got her gentle little brother back again.

Hesitantly, he returned her embrace awkwardly as loud purring came from their feet. Kirara had entwined herself around his ankles. The young taijiya felt oddly detached from the emotion running high, dimly aware of the houshi watching them.

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"Fuck off, Kagura," growled Inuyasha viciously. Beside him, Kagome had drawn her bow, another arrow pointed at the downed Namaru.

The wind witch smirked. "Not until I've taken that head of yours for a souvenir!" Another torrent of wind blades descended.

"Kaze no Kizu!" The blades were quickly vaporized in a dazzling blast of energy. Naraku's incarnation grimaced. Apparently deciding the odds were not in her favour, she whipped out her feather and hopped aboard.

"I'll take that!" she called, snatching up Namaru's naginata as she gained height. Kagura scanned the clearing for Kohaku and swooped down beside him. Immediately, Miroku's eyes narrowed and the rings of his shakujou jangled as he tightened his grip on it. Sango placed a protective arm in front of her brother, drawing her wakizashi with the other.

"Don't you dare escape, coward!" shouted Inuyasha distantly. He was running towards them, Kagome on his back and Kagura knew she had not much time.

"Come on, Kohaku!" she snapped. To buy time, Kagura sent a few more wind blades at Inuyasha, gouging deep craters out of the earth.

"I can't! Naraku knows! The saimyosho – "

She stared at him, her red eyes wide in shock. "You've…regained your memories!" The astonishment melted from her face, to be replaced by cunning. "The saimyosho aren't a problem."

He studied her expression intently. "What do you mean?"

"I killed them."

Inuyasha and Kagome approached. The group were frozen in their battle stances, eyes flitting from Namaru to Kagura and back.

"Why?" asked Miroku.

"I'll be damned if I tell you, but I don't give a fuck anymore."

"Naraku knew that miserable bitch over there" – she jerked her fan over at a sullen Namaru – "was going to betray him, so he told me to take back all the Shikon shards and try to take the girl's. Oh, and try to kill you all as well," she said in a bored voice. "I'm sick of that bastard manipulator so I killed his saimyosho spies and intended to tell him the kitsune did it."

"Bitch," hissed Namaru, eyes burning with malice.

"Anyway," continued Kagura casually, "I've had enough for one night. Until we meet again."

"Wait."

Kohaku stepped forward and clambered onto the feather behind her. Surprised, Sango went after him.

"Kohaku? Where are you going?"

He gazed at her sadly. "I have to go, Ane-ue. Naraku still doesn't know I've regained my memories. By staying close to him, I can find a way to kill him and avenge our people. Trust me."

"You can stay with us – "

"No. It's better this way." The boy looked away, not wanting to see his sister cry again. "I'll be fine. Take care of yourself, Ane-ue."

"What about you, Kagura? How can we be sure you won't report this to Naraku? This could be another of his convoluted plots." said Miroku pointedly.

"I saw and heard nothing about Kohaku," she said coldly. "Naraku may hold my heart in his hand, but he cannot hold the wind."

Sango bit her lip, wanting to stop her brother from going. _Not when I've just gotten him back, _she thought. But she knew Kohaku was stubborn and arguing with him was fruitless. She felt Kagome's comforting hand on her shoulder, drawing strength from her friend's grip.

Kagura and Kohaku took off into the sky. Inuyasha and the others watched them go until they were nothing more than a black silhouette and then they were gone.

Inuyasha glanced contemptuously at the dark figure of Namaru, still kneeling in the grass. "What about her?"

Miroku grasped his prayer beads. "She came back after being supposedly killed. This is the best way."

They nodded, standing back to give him room.

"Kazaana!" The monk opened his clenched fist, unleashing the howling purple-black winds. The bake-kitsune flinched and her humanoid form began to shift.

A massive demon fox stood where Namaru had been, its long claws digging into the soil.

"So you reveal your true form, youkai!" yelled Miroku over the noise of the Kazaana. He winced as the overexerted injuries began to pain him again, this time more viciously than before.

The bake-kitsune howled, scrabbling uselessly at the ground as it began to lose its grip. The monk persevered, sweat pouring down his forehead as he aimed his hand at it.

"Houshi-sama…" murmured Sango.

Finally, a large clod of dirt was torn from the ground, Namaru with it. Flailing and kicking, she was drawn into the Kazaana.

As she disappeared, as a final act of malice, she raked the sides of the Kazaana with her claws.

**Author's Note: **Today, the plot bunnies were not amused by the usual 1,000+ word update so they produced this whopper. As usual, let me know if you hate it, you love it or you want nothing more than to see me burn in hell for it. No, seriously.


	11. Legacy Of Vengance

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, the Inuyasha universe is not for sale. Otherwise I would have snapped it up, pronto.

**Author's Note: **Happy Chinese New Year to all readers!

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_I cried a tear_

_You wiped it dry_

_I was confused _

_You cleared my mind_

_**You Needed Me~Anne Murray**_

"Nnngh!"

Face contorted in pain, Miroku dropped to one knee, clutching his right wrist. The sound of the winds grew louder, echoing around the clearing. His companions froze to the spot.

"Houshi-sama!"

Sango was at his side in a heartbeat. He staggered away from her, panting.

"Get away from me, Sango!" He yelled, violet eyes dark with panic and anxiety.

Inuyasha tugged on her arm, dragging her from the monk. Kagome had scooped Shippo into her arms, her eyes wide with worry. They fell back, out of range of the deadly winds.

The howling black winds of the newly-enlarged Kazaana seemed to rage with a greater intensity than before. It was all Miroku could do just to keep his hand pointed upwards.

_The pain…it feels like my arm is being pulled off!_ Sweat poured down his brow and was instantly sucked into the void. With a massive effort, he rewrapped the prayer beads around his arm and forced his fist closed.

The Kazaana finally contained, all strength deserted him and he slumped to the grass on his side, chest heaving.

Though the worst of the danger was over, it was still not safe. A faint rustling noise from his hand warned him that it was not completely subdued.

Gritting his teeth, Miroku clenched his fist until the knuckles were white. Sango looked as though she would run to him if not for the firm grip Inuyasha had on her arm.

"Miroku-sama, are you all right?" called Kagome hesitantly.

He pulled himself into a sitting position, still holding his wrist. "Don't come any closer," he warned, keeping a cautious eye on the cursed hand. "It hasn't quietened down yet."

_Damn that youkai! How much longer do I have now?_

Icy fear clutched at Miroku's heart as he stared at his friends: worried Kagome, with a nervous Shippo in her arms, Inuyasha with his heavy brows knitted, and Sango.

There was pain in those beautiful brown eyes he loved so much. She was distraught, clearly not ready to lose him to the void.

Bowing his head, he recited a prayer, one he had learned years ago, hoping he would never have need of it. The prayer beads glowed, imbued with his spiritual energy and the sound of the wind gradually faded away.

_It's calmed down…for now._

Tentatively, he struggled to his feet and promptly wished he had not. Pain lanced through his chest and Miroku fell back down with a moan of agony. Blackness surrounded the edges of his vision and the pain slowly began to fade into a dull ache.

Movement out of the corners of his rapidly narrowing field of vision told him both Kagome and Sango were kneeling down beside him. Miroku was vaguely aware of soft hands rubbing his temple, brushing his hair out of his eyes. He blinked, trying to clear the fog from his brain.

"Houshi-sama!"

He could hear Sango's voice, sounding as though she was far away. Fighting the wave of darkness rolling over his remaining consciousness, he tucked his hand under his body, as far away as possible from the girls.

"Keh. Idiot," muttered Inuyasha's grumpy voice. Seizing Miroku's arm, he hoisted the monk upright. Sango took his other arm and the hanyou snorted.

"Sango, I can take him myself."

"I'm fine, Inuyasha." His golden eyes slid sideways, catching the steely look in the taijiya's brown ones.

"…Fine," he shrugged. Together, they half-dragged, half-carried him back to the hut.

Once they laid him down on the futon, Miroku's eyes fluttered open.

"Don't you dare move, Miroku-sama!" admonished Kagome, holding him down as he attempted to sit up. "I mean it. Lie still. Sango-chan, help me!"

He screwed his eyes up, lifting his hand above his head to examine it. Thankfully, the rustling noise had stopped but the flesh still ached. The skin under and around the cloth covering his palm was raw, still bleeding a little. Sango noticed and taking his hand, started to clean it.

Miroku's eyes flashed. "Sango, no!"

"Houshi-sama, what – "

He snatched his hand away, gasping from the exertion. "No…I can't…"

"Shhh," said Sango soothingly, her fingers closing around his. "It's alright, Houshi-sama." He watched her warily as she dabbed at his skin, lessening the sting.

"Miroku, are you okay?" wailed Shippo, clinging to his sleeve.

"He's fine, Shippo," answered Sango for him. Miroku exhaled softly, trying to regain his equilibrium.

Once the young houshi had calmed down, Kagome replaced the bandages, now heavy with his blood. "You're lucky, Miroku-sama. There was minimal damage to your cuts. But for your own good, you better not do something like that again, you got that?" she scolded.

Inuyasha made a loud noise of derision from the doorway where he was leaning. "You humans are so weak and yet you insist on doing this to yourselves," he grumbled.

Miroku grinned weakly. "You aren't much better yourself, Inuyasha." The hanyou looked away, rolling his eyes.

"Feh. Whatever."

"Inuyasha, leave him alone," Kagome interrupted tiredly. "Come on, let's get some sleep. Especially you, Miroku-sama."

Standing up, she took a stunned Inuyasha by the hand and led him out. Sango made to follow them but she paused halfway.

"Houshi-sama…thank you." She looked as though she would say more, mouth open but no words came out.

Miroku took her hand, squeezing it lightly, his violet eyes locked with Sango's.

"Kohaku will be fine," he whispered. She nodded, a lump suddenly rising in her throat.

After what seemed like an eternity, she broke the contact, disappearing out the door.

Kagome was watching Sango as she took her bedroll, laying it out next to her. Mewing, Kirara hopped onto the bed, curling up and making herself into a very fluffy pillow. The older girl smiled, stroking her companion's back and settling in for the night, back to Kagome.

"Sango-chan?"

She rolled over. "Yes, Kagome-chan?"

"What did you and Miroku-sama talk about?"

Sadness veiled Sango's features. "Kohaku. I think…he's going to be fine."

Kagome bit her lip, the normally warm and chatty girl tongue-tied by this difficult subject. "Yes…I think so too," she managed, reaching out to pat her friend's hand.

Despite Sango's words, the younger girl could not help but to notice that she took a long time to fall asleep.

Inside the hut, Miroku repeatedly opened and closed the fingers of his right hand, trying to ease the dull ache in his palm. Exhausted as he was, sleep sis not take him until much later.

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It took a few days before Miroku was well enough to travel, days filled with the incessant complaints of a certain hanyou about humans who did not know their limits which nearly drove everyone over the edge. Even Kirara avoided going anywhere near Inuyasha, her fur standing on end.

Finally, despite the protests of the girls, Miroku insisted on continuing their journey. "We have been wasting enough time on this Namaru business. Besides, there is only so much whining my poor ears can tolerate." The last comment was directed at a harrumphing Inuyasha, who sat cross-legged at the foot of a nearby tree.

"Inuyasha! This is your fault!" shouted Kagome, her fists clenched into tight balls. His head snapped up, ears twitching nervously.

"What? How come?" he protested, holding both hands up as the angry girl advanced on him. "If Miroku wants to travel, it's his decision, nothing to do with me!"

"Arrrgh! You are such an insensitive jerk!" Miroku and Sango watched them, nose-to-nose, yelling at each other.

"When do you think they are going to stop fighting and admit their feelings for each other?" he remarked casually.

"Only when Inuyasha grows up," butted in Shippo, clambering onto Miroku's shoulder. "He's still too dumb now."

Both Miroku and Sango smiled down at the little kitsune. A minute later, Kagome ended the argument by invoking the prayer beads, sending Inuyasha face-first into the dirt.

"Jerk!" she huffed, slinging her backpack over one shoulder and marching stiff-legged down the road. Miroku and Sango rose and followed, leaving Inuyasha picking himself out of the grass.

"Idiot," muttered Shippo as the sound of Inuyasha's curses filled the air.

**Author's Note: **Sadly enough, this story will be ending in a couple of chapters, possibly the next one. Why? Because I'm not quite done torturing Miroku… I'm joking. I hope you readers enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.


	12. Affirmation

**Author's Note: **This is the last chapter of _Past The Point Of No Return. _It has been a great ride and this author is really sorry to see it end! This is dedicated to who have been following this every step of the way and this author is infinitely grateful. (Why this author channeling Sesshoumaru and talking in the third person?)

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_But you still came back for me_

_You were strong and you believed_

_Everything is gonna be alright_

_Everything is gonna be alright_

_Everything is gonna be alright_

_Be strong believe_

_**Believe – Yellowcard**_

At last, Kagome and Inuyasha had made up, much to the others' relief. The younger girl was now chatting animatedly with Sango, sharing some anecdote about her life in the future, Shippo and Kirara respectively curled around their shoulders. Inuyasha walked ahead of them, as he usually did while Miroku brought up the rear.

Deliberately, he lagged increasingly behind, casting furtive glances at the backs of his companions and his right hand.

The Kazaana had been badly torn, the injury Namaru had dealt him far worse than he had let on to his friends.

_How long has she taken from me? Months? Even – years?_

He clenched his jaw as another throb of pain shot through his hand. Last night, Miroku had been woken in the middle of the night by a sharp stab of pain, as though his hand had been impaled by a sword. Without alerting the others, even Inuyasha's keen senses, he had sneaked away to examine it for the first time since his hand had recovered from the injury Namaru had dealt it.

What he saw sent a cold wave of fear through his body. It had expanded greatly, worse than he had reckoned.

_Judging from the size, at best, I would be lucky to make it through another year. At worst…_

It had taken him a massive effort of will not to think about the worst that could happen. He could not dwell on it. Not when Sango needed him more than ever. And he needed her.

Miroku looked up, blinking away the cold sweat that had trickled into his eye. They were so far in front that he could only catch a brief glimpse of Inuyasha's red haori.

_They haven't noticed me yet. Good. Now – _

"Houshi-sama?"

He froze as the familiar voice came from beside him. "S – Sango!" Somehow, when he had been preoccupied with his thoughts, she had fallen back and joined him. He forced a smile and met her concerned eyes.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." _Sango, you're not supposed to be here. Please…_

"Do you want to stop?"

Miroku shot her a worried glance out of the corner of his eye. His hand throbbed again. "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure, Houshi-sama? You were looking at your hand just now. The Kazaana – "

_She knew! _thought Miroku frantically. Before he could make another weak excuse, his hand flared and he doubled up with pain, dropping his shakujou.

_Oh Buddha, not now! _

He looked up, into Sango's frightened eyes. "Sango… I… I'm sorry, Sango." Another wave of pain washed over Miroku's arm and he cried out. "Goodbye."

Turning his back on her, he ran from the scene, looking for a deserted clearing where the Kazaana could take him. He could hear Sango behind him, calling him back: steeling himself, Miroku ignored the pain in her voice, running as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Sango, what's going on?" asked Inuyasha as he and Kagome ran back, Kirara at their heels.

"Houshi-sama… the Kazaana…" she mumbled, feet rooted to the ground in shock. Kagome gasped softly and Inuyasha swore.

"So he's gone off to die, the bouzu?" snarled the hanyou. Sango's face was drawn with worry and she nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Inuyasha!" scolded Kagome, her voice fraught with worry for Miroku.

"Inuyasha… here," Sango cut in, handing her Hiraikotsu to the confused hanyou. "I'm going after him."

"Sango, wait…!" Before they could call her back, she had run after Miroku. Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged looks and went after her.

"Sango-chan, wait!" called Kagome.

"Sango! Stop!" Inuyasha's gruff voice.

"Sango!" Even Shippo was yelling after her.

Sango ran faster as their voices began to fade away. She had seen him disappear into a nearby thicket, a trail of trampled undergrowth and broken branches showing her where he had gone.

The brush was not easy to navigate, although Miroku had made it considerably easier for her. Nevertheless, Sango pressed on, receiving quite a number of scratches along the way. Her movement was often impeded by twigs and branches catching on her clothes, frustration running high every time she paused to free herself.

_Kami-sama… please let him be alive when I reach him!_

A tug on the sleeve of her kimono. A nasty twig had snagged the fabric, protruding through her sleeve. Growling in frustration, Sango released the hidden blade on her right arm and slashed away at the unyielding obstruction. Her heart in her throat, she ran on until at last, she stumbled into a clearing.

Miroku was sitting in the middle of the clearing, his face a stoic mask. It crumpled when he looked up at her but quickly reasserted itself.

"Sango… get away from here. Please." Determination showed in his violet eyes, his jaw set in a hard line. The sound of the winds echoed around the clearing.

"No!" shouted Sango, tears falling freely from her eyes. "I'm not leaving you!"

He glowered at her from under fiercely knitted brows. "Don't be stupid!" he roared over the noise of the winds. "Go back to Inuyasha and Kagome now! The Kazaana could take me any time!"

"I don't care," repeated the slayer stubbornly. She took a step forward. Swearing, Miroku edged backward, his eyes constantly flicking between Sango and his right hand. "I will not leave you."

"Sango, go. Now." Miroku battled to keep both the Kazaana contained and his voice from breaking simultaneously. "I can't hold it for much longer – " They continued moving as though playing a game: Miroku backing up for every step Sango took towards him.

"To hell with that!" shouted Sango, rubbing the tears from her eyes. "I told you once that we'd die together!"

"No," Miroku said quietly. "I will not let you throw your life away needlessly for my sake. Leave now." He felt roughness poking at his back. Standing against a tree, the monk had nowhere to retreat.

She paused, and then broke into a run. Before he could move, Sango had thrown her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his chest. Miroku put a hand on her shoulder, intending to push her away but his fingers refused to obey him. Finally, giving in reluctantly, the monk encircled her shoulders with his free arm and kissed the top of her head, closing his eyes and inhaling the scent of her hair.

"Foolish Sango. Why are you so stubborn?" he murmured into her hair.

In the many moments of contemplation he spent over the past few years of traveling, the young houshi had decided there were many things he wanted to take with him when his time came: the memories of Sango's laughter, her smile, her beautiful brown eyes… Miroku had never dreamed Sango herself would follow him to into the void. It both pained and – with a pang of guilt – gladdened him.

Gritting his teeth, Miroku braced himself for the final agony of the Kazaana – and was surprised to find it never came.

Thought the pain in his hand never diminished, the howling gradually faded away and an uneasy silence fell over them.

Sango looked up cautiously, not letting go of Miroku. "Houshi-sama… the Kazaana…"

He gazed down at his palm in amazement. "A false alarm."

Miroku's legs gave out and he slid down the tree trunk, pulling Sango into his lap. His arm tightened around her as a wave of horror washed over him: he had been dangerously close to taking her with him. He paused to savour the warmth of her body against his.

"… What were you thinking, Sango? I could have sucked you in the Kazaana."

_That would be far worse than my death.._

She did not reply as she nestled her head into his robes, listening to his heart beating, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Sango was suddenly and painfully aware of the little things, thanks to Miroku's brush with death, content for now to hold him in her arms.

Sighing, Miroku made to cup the side of her face with his left hand when Sango surprised him. Releasing his waist, she took his right hand tenderly in both her own and dropped a shy kiss on it, directly over the Kazaana.

"I trust you."

It was stunning how she had managed to convey such depth of love and trust to him with such a simple gesture. Affectionate acts were merely not part of his Sango. His violet eyes were round with astonishment but to Miroku's credit, he quickly recovered his composure.

"Never do that again," she admonished. He laughed softly, caressing the side of her face, fingers trailing down her jaw to the neck. "Do what, love?"

"Scare me like that," she answered with a shaky laugh.

Miroku looked at the palm of his cursed hand sadly. "I can't do that, Sango. Buddha knows, I wish I could."

She inclined her head, her vision steadily growing misty with unshed tears. Sango could not let him see her tears. Feeling a gentle pressure on her chin, she let him tilt her face up towards him.

"But I can promise you one thing," His eyes were filled with warmth and love, instantly calming her own fraught emotions. Lifting her fingers, he pressed his lips to them, holding them against his cheek. "I promise that I will stay by your side for the rest of my life, short as it may be. When I do leave you, it will not be of my own desire."

The tears rolled down her face and Miroku wiped them away with a sweep of his callused thumb.

She wanted to scream at him, to tell him it was not enough but knew better than that. It was simply the best he could do for now. The only real hope that he – _they_ – had was for them to kill Naraku. With a scare like that, Sango knew he did not have much time left before the inevitable. An impulse came to mind and she acted on it without further thought.

Closing the gap between them, Sango captured his lips with her own. He eagerly returned her kiss, running his tongue against her lip when her mouth opened, letting him in. She could feel her skin heating up, pleasure running up and down her spine as she responded to Miroku's caresses, fisting one hand in his hair, the other on his neck pulling him closer.

He moaned softly, the sound muffled against her mouth. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she could feel his hands on her hips, moving down her body, generating heat from her skin where they touched the fabric over them. Miroku broke the kiss, tilting his head and trailing kisses down her neck. A shudder ran through Sango and she lifted her head, giving him better access. When he reached the collar of her kosode, she seized the front of his robes forcefully, pressing her lips against his again.

"Not now," she murmured against his mouth. "Later."

Miroku made a small sound of disappointment but obediently left Sango's clothing alone, nipping her lower lip. Occupying himself with exploring her mouth, he let his tongue roam over the crevices. Sango sighed harshly, arching her back as wave after wave of sensations rolled down her spine.

Finally, gasping for air, they broke the kiss. Miroku grinned as he rested his chin on top of her hair. "I missed that," he said, in a husky voice, sending delightful shivers up Sango's spine. She leaned in, resting her head in the crook of his neck.

"So did I." Miroku felt her smile into the sensitive skin of his neck.

"Ahem."

Miroku and Sango jumped apart guiltily, eyes darting around, searching for the source of the interruption. Their passion-clouded eyes slowly cleared as they regained control of themselves.

Inuyasha stood at the edge of the clearing, arms folded, a bored expression on his face. Two pink spots on his cheeks hinted he had been there for quite some time. His golden eyes ran over them, taking in the mussed hair, rumpled clothes, flushed faces and slightly swollen lips.

"That's really low, you lecher. Pretending your Kazaana was about to blow so you could sneak off with Sango." Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and smirked, watching the red hue of their cheeks darken by another shade.

"It was a false alarm, Inuyasha," said Miroku defensively.

"Keh, whatever."

A loud rustling in the undergrowth behind them was followed by a torrent of not-so-ladylike cursing.

"These stupid branches – Inuyasha, are you there? Did you find them?"

The stubborn vegetation gave way all of a sudden and Kagome stumbled into the clearing, Inuyasha catching her before she could fall.

"I – oh." Like the hanyou a short time before, her eyes flicked from left to right as she appraised the couple. An evil grin slowly spread over her face even as her cheeks were tinted pink. "Man, am I glad I made Shippo stay back with Kirara."

A lecherous grin stretched over Miroku's face. "How wise of you, Kagome-sama."

"I – it's not what you think, Kagome-chan…" stuttered Sango.

Kagome waved a hand airily, dismissing her friend's feeble excuse. "Uh… I suppose we can go now?"

"About time," growled Inuyasha. Miroku scrambled to his feet, helping Sango up.

"Ah… Inuyasha, Kagome-sama, why don't you two go on ahead, Sango and I will catch up in a moment," called Miroku. They looked back at him and nodded: Inuyasha muttering something about not controlling impulses, Kagome smiling to herself.

Once Miroku was completely sure they were alone, he turned his attention back to Sango.

"Sango," he murmured reverently, his arms slipping back around her slender waist, the fingers interlocking around her lower back. "Someday, after I'm gone…"

"Don't say that," she pleaded, touching her finger to his lips. "We will defeat Naraku and your curse will be nothing but a memory. I'll bear your children, as many as you want."

A deep sadness touched Miroku's eyes, darkening their violet shade. He ran the side of his hand over her ear, tucking her hair behind it. "I have to, for both our sakes. Sango, know this always: I love you, with all that I am."

Her eyes widened, searching his face for any sign: any indication he was joking. There was none. Miroku's stormy violet eyes, normally inscrutable, were completely transparent, the love in them evident as he gazed back at her. The corner of his mouth twitched, lifting into a gentle smile. There was no mistaking the look of absolute adoration on his handsome features.

_He really means it._

Sango's vision blurred as her eyes steadily filled with tears. "I love you too… Miroku." His name was unfamiliar on her tongue, the words triggering a dim memory of another affirmation of love, on a riverbank under the full moon.

This time, she was certain nothing would tear apart the bond between them.

***************************************************************************************************************

Kohaku sat on the window ledge of Naraku's mountain stronghold, one leg dangling over the side. For once, he was alone, able to lose himself in his thoughts.

For once, he was less worried about Sango, now she knew her little brother had regained his memories and could take care of himself.

_Ane-ue worries too much._

Kohaku felt he could trust the monk who traveled with Sango to take care of her. Those eyes… they were enough to convince him he was no ordinary man.

_I know Ane-ue cares for him, as he does for her._

Facing the wind, he let it ruffle his bangs. Whenever he missed Sango, he closed his eyes and pretended the breeze was her gentle caress.

_We will be together again someday, Ane-ue. I promise._

***************************************************************************************************************

Miroku walked briskly, the rings of his shakujou jingling rhythmically with his footsteps. "It feels good to be traveling again," he commented.

"It does," said Sango. Ahead of them, Inuyasha and Kagome were bickering noisily over some minor disagreement, Shippou shaking his head as he perched on Kagome's shoulder. "And it looks like things are back to normal."

"Even for us?" He was smiling impishly as he glanced sideways at a suddenly blushing Sango.

"Not quite," she said teasingly, smacking his other hand neatly as it reached out for her backside. "Sukebe houshi." The words were spoken almost fondly. Miroku grinned.

"Ah, Sango, you wound me," he sighed. She made an exasperated sound, her face turned away from him but he could tell she was smiling. Taking Sango's hand in his, Miroku gave it an affectionate squeeze.

He knew he should not be so light-hearted, now that the road before him had been considerably shortened. But now, as he felt the wind in his hair, his hand in Sango's, knowing she loved him as much as he loved her, Miroku could not help but put tomorrow to the back of his thoughts. Just for now… he would live for the moment.


End file.
